Weekly Devotionals
Isaiah 61:3a – “To appoint unto them that mourn in Zion, to give unto them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; that they might be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the LORD, that he might be glorified.”
I heard the sound of Beyonce streaming generously from the car next to me, as she sang about the pains of being pretty. “Pretty hurts… Tryna fix something, but you can’t fix what you can’t see. It’s the soul that needs the surgery.” She went on to sing about the sacrifices made and the lengths that we go through to achieve an outward appearance of being pretty… only to still feel empty.
John 15:2 - “He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes, so that it will be even more fruitful.”
Finding out that I had rapidly growing fibroids in my uterus was not the news I wanted to hear. I’ve tried to maintain a healthy lifestyle, but still found myself facing this health concern and needed to take immediate action.
John 1:5 – “The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.”
The storm raged outside as my sons and I watched 70’s horror films in the living room. We could hear rain beat repeatedly on the window pain and thunder roar across the sky. It had been raining heavily for hours, so we were prepared to stay inside for the rest of the evening.
Deuteronomy 7:17-19 – You may say to yourselves, “These nations are stronger than we are. How can we drive them out?” But do not be afraid of them; remember well what the Lord your God did to Pharaoh and to all Egypt…The Lord your God will do the same to all the peoples you now fear.
The longer I live, the more I realize that it is inevitable. No matter how good your intentions, no matter how noble your cause, no matter how committed your soul there will be a moment when you doubt. There will be a moment when you doubt yourself, there will be a moment when you doubt your ability, and if we’re honest there may be a moment when you doubt God.
