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Listen while you read: "All Hail To Thee Immanuel"1 (Lyrics) |
Isaiah 64:8 – Yet, O Lord, you are our Father. We are the clay, you are the potter; we are all the work of your hand. (NIV)
When I started writing devotionals again last December, I went through emotional agony at the thought of my dysfunctional life hanging out there naked in cyberworld for all to see.
I had felt led by God to write these devotionals. When I tried to ignore His nudges to write my thoughts down, the hound of heaven kept at me until finally, in frustration, I'd give in, just to get Him off my back. I'd often send the devotionals to our editor, Robin Ross, and then write him back to say that I couldn't go through with it. All I wanted to do was to close my door, shut off my computer, and be left alone with my pain, grief, and anonymity. Despite my pleas and prayers to God to help me, there was only silence. I should have known that He was up to something!
The whole mess came to a head one morning just after I'd written the devotional, "In Search Of My Roots". I had wakened feeling fragile, and as I stood in the kitchen making my breakfast, God's message literally convicted me as I distinctly heard Him say, "This is not your life. When you gave your life to Me as you were on your way home to commit suicide, it no longer belonged to you. Your life as it was, and is, no longer belongs to you — not even your life events before you met Me. I kept you safe during that time, and now it's time to use it to help others." Feeling shaken and awed at what had just occurred, I took my bowl of oatmeal and sat in front of my computer to read my e-mails. As if what I'd just been through wasn't awesome enough, there was an e-mail from Robin with the words, "That's because so many people can identify with your struggles. That's why God is urging you to write. Be encouraged! You can do this!"
Since the results of my sharing are no longer up to me, I'm thinking that I should just hang a sign around my neck that says "under permanent construction" and comfort myself with the Scripture, "Anyone who does not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of me. Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it." (Matthew 10:38-39 NIV)
Have you ever considered that since you gave your life to Christ, it no longer belongs to you? You are not your own!
1 Corinthians 6:19-20 – Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honour God with your body. (NIV)
Galatians 2:20 – I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. (NIV)
Prayer: Father God, in the name of Jesus, forgive us when we have human feelings and think it's all about us. Forgive us when we forget that You have us here on earth only to further Your kingdom. Lord Jesus, we pray for the people who will read these words, that they may know that You care enough to assure them that they are not alone in their pain. Amen.
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Thank You!!
Robin Ross was right. Thank you for sharing your story.
Thank you Evonee. Please continue to live for Him and with Him.
A well written message Evonne. Keep sharing! Others will benefit.
What powerful message. Thank you Lord for another gifted writer.
Thanks for writing and I pray you are comforted.
Stay safe.
Evonne
Thanks for sharing. Be encouraged to continue posting.
Thank you, Evonne, for your honesty and encouragement. I am praying for
you today.
Bless you Evonne. My story is very similar, and another editor told me the same thing. Keep sharing.
Keep writing please and sending them in. Today’s was very helpful. I’ve just started to read The Daniel Plan, so your devotional reinforces what I’ve been reading.
Yes oh yes!
You are not the only one “Under” construction. I think there are a lot of us! Keep writing and I will keep reading but listening is the best.
Hi Evonne,
What a blessing you are to me and to others. You are so brave to be writing. Many have similar stories. You inspire us all!
Dear Evonne!
A big HEALING HUG for you!
God’s special care be with you!
And all who relate to your story!
Evonne,
I’m glad you were encouraged to continue writing and sharing.
God bless you,
(CA)
Dear Evonne,
I hope you get many encouraging messages today. How wonderful that God spoke to you so directly! May you be blessed and I know you are blessing others.
Your words are powerful indeed. Thanking God that He intervened and kept you close. Now we are blessed and encouraged by the strength in your words.
God bless you, Evonne.
Thank you for following God’s prompting to write this devotional, Yes, Yes, Yes, we are not our own once we accept Jesus into our life as our Lord and Saviour.
May God bless you abundantly and make you a blessing as you continue to serve Him in this way.
Good Morning Evonne. Wow! Is this powerful or what!! Thank you for your message this morning and having the courage to share it. GOD IS GOOD FOR SURE! So continue to listen to HIM and be encouraged. Sharing your stories can only help others.
And Thank you again for your inspiring words.
Robin was sure right when he encouraged you to write because so many people would be touched and identify with your pain. What a blessing to us that you will allow the Lord to speak to us through your pain. May He richly bless all your reflections and keep you (and us) moving deeper into His loving arms, His Kingdom. Thank you for your courage.
Dearest Evonne, thank you for your devotionals l find them so fitting to my life and feel like a kindred spirit to you when l read them. I too have felt lost and in despair but God always finds me and picks me up. Please keep writing. You bring me such peace and joy.
(Northern Ireland).
Thank you Evonne,
Such a Blessing that you were well enough, or at least given the strength to listen when God spoke, and to share your story so that hopefully, others may be helped by and through it.
Many others continue to die by suicide and leave their loved ones in lingering distress.
Dear Evonne,
Thank you for your sharing today. It is so timely especially in these trying days for so many. You have given us the truth to ponder and pray so that we can carry on as you have.
May God continue to BLESS YOU richly as you obey your purpose in this enterprise.
Dear Evonne,
Thank you so much for sharing this devotional with us, the readers. It is always good to listen to the Lord. I have often acted on the Lord’s nudgings, then other times have not. The former carry huge rewards. When I want to be there for someone who may need me, I end up being blessed myself.
Blessings.
Dear Evonne:
What a blessing you are! Your word are an inspiration. Yes, I have been down that road of horrible thoughts and even yelled out loud at God. He was there for me too and calmed my spirit with His love, It took a while but He has blessed me abundantly through many trials and I am grateful.
Please Evonne, continue to write, we need you and so does God.
Dear Evonne;
As I read your devotional this morning, your words brought tears to my eyes. I thank God that you have heeded His voice to write. As Robin said, people can certainly identify with your struggles. I truly believe that we, who say that we are Christian, need to share our struggles and become “real” with the world. Thank you for sharing and may God continue to nudge us to share His victories within our lives.
Evonne: thank you for responding to God’s none-too-subtle nudges.
Your devotion today answered a query floating in my mind: a friend told of planning her suicide because it was the only way she could take control of her situation This did not resonate with any experience of mine until you brought the light to bear – we insist it is all about us and push God aside.
The richness of your life’s mountains and valleys will be a blessing to all your readers.
You have no idea how your devotional has touched me. As I read this I am in beautiful Peru. My trip was not only to discover Peru and do some trekking, but also to be alone with God. I wanted to be away from family, friends and partner in order to discover who I truly am, through the eyes of God. I have felt his presence I have felt his love but as I read your words I realize it is I that need to love me. Why is this so difficult I do not know. Have I not forgiven myself for the life I have led? I cried all through your devotional your words have touched my heart.
I have cried out to God to show me what is in the way of accepting and knowing His love for me.
Dear Evonne,
Thank you, thank you so very much for having the courage to share your life and you walk with Christ with all of us, in the Daily community.
You are a blessing to us all. What you write and share blesses us all. I suggest that many of us have dysfunctional lives. I do. But what you write and share gives us all courage and hope. We see that Evonne is still struggling on today…but she’s leaning on the arm of the Lord, as we all do….as we all should.
I’ve thought about ending my life more times than I can count. So have many of my friends. I sure don’t understand why God wants me in the midst of the mess I call “my life”. However, I’m not supposed to understand. What I am supposed to do is believe, pray and praise.
I can be found in front of my own computer nightly, to stay in touch with my friends and the groups I take part in…..but one thing always comes first….Daily. You see, I always hope that someone has written words like you have…full of honesty and truth, hope and grace. We are all under “permanent reconstruction” until we will see God face to face.
As I am coming home from work these October evenings, the sun has set and its getting dark and cold. And you wonderful Daily is like a lamp that is lit in a window to help make sure we all get home safe.
God Bless you & keep writing.
So glad that you listened to Our Heavenly Father and have continued to write. Sometimes where God leads us is easy/makes sense to us….other times, what HE asks of us is hard and we do not want to do it. Sometimes we readily answer His call; other times we hesitate and sound like Moses likely did when being told to go before Pharoah — why me? why not send someone else? why now?
God has a purpose for each of us and when we open our hearts, we learn what that is to be. Nothing happens “by accident” — everything does happen for a reason….the good and the bad. We don’t like to think that the bad things are supposed to happen but even they serve a purpose in one’s life — it may be to get us to another place where God intends for us to be that is better. We simply have to trust in HIM. HE knows at the bad times, we have more difficulty doing this but HE also knows that we will trust — it’s easy to do that when times are going well; it’s harder to do that when times are going not so well.
I say this from personal experience as I am currently going through chemo — yes, I’d like to ask “why me?!” but I don’t. And I don’t blame God for what I’m going through. Instead I thank HIM daily for the wonderful people HE has brought into my life, and who surround me as I go through this!
So though you may have felt your life was suddenly “out there for all to see”….that was what God needed you to do.
HE is a very patient Father and knows His children well. HE does not take us where we should not go; HE does not do what we cannot; HE is always there to surround us with His loving arms and help us.
Do continue to write!
God bless!
Keep on writing Evonne. Not only is it good for you it is good for the readers who read it and see they are not alone. God Bless.
Letting you know that your words do help us struggling to live as good Christians and faithful to Jesus. Thank you for putting your thoughts and feelings into powerful Christian devotionals.
Dear Evonne,
Thank you for having the courage to share this painful memory. I’m sure what God has done in your life is an encouragement to many people. May God continue to use your writing for His glory!
Blessings.