Jesus Calls Us By Name

by Sheri Schofield

Yesterday I drove over to a small town called Story here in Wyoming. Story is tucked away in a valley next to the Big Horn Mountains. Driving into the area, I saw hillsides covered with large patches of gold, the blooms of balsam root. Scattered around the grassy slopes there were clumps of brilliant, blue-violet and purple lupine as well.

I always enjoy learning the names of plants wherever I live. But many times I wonder who on earth named these beautiful flowers. There are small, blue, bell shaped flowers called harebells. I asked myself, “Why not call them bunny bells instead?”

I saw some gorgeous flowers resembling Canterbury bells, but their official name is beardtongue. Really! Who thought of that one? I shake my head at the names man has devised for these lovely flowers.

Names can greatly affect how people behave. Jesus knew when he met a fisherman named Simon. It means one who listens and understands. Simon listened to what Jesus taught the crowds who came to hear him. When Jesus had finished, he turned to Simon and asked him to take the boat out to deeper water and cast the nets to catch fish.

Simon said, “We’ve been fishing all night, and we’ve caught nothing. But since you ask, I will do it.” He moved the boat out a ways from shore, cast the net out, and fish filled it so fast and so full that the nets began to break and the boat began to sink! Simon and his brother Andrew called out to their business partners for help. James and John came to the rescue and helped bring in this unprecedented load of fish.

When Simon saw what Jesus had done, he knew it was a miracle. He fell at Jesus’ knees and said, “Go away from me, Lord; I am a sinful man!”

Then Jesus said to Simon, “Don’t be afraid; from now on you will fish for people,” Luke 5:8-10 (NIV).

Simon continued to listen and understand. One day, the Lord asked who Simon thought Jesus was. Simon said, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.” 

Jesus replied, “Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, for this was not revealed to you by flesh and blood, but by the Father in heaven. And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it,” Matthew 16:16-18 (NIV).

Jesus changed Simon’s name to Peter, which means rock. No longer would Peter be merely one who listens and understands, but he would build the foundation upon which Jesus would build his church. Peter would be the leader of the disciples after Jesus ascended into heaven.

Sometimes people may call us names or sneer at us because of our faith in Jesus. But remember, Jesus is the one who calls each of his own by name. He treasures us. He has a purpose for each of us, a job only we can do for him. We each have our own part in contributing to the ongoing building of Jesus’ church on earth. It is a place of honor in his eyes.

Do we see ourselves as weak? If we keep our eyes on Jesus, he calls us strong. Do we fear we have little faith? As we trust him, Jesus calls us bold. He changes our identities as we learn to walk close to his side. We become the people Jesus intended us to be, and he calls us his beloved.

I am my beloved’s and my beloved is mine.  Song of Solomon 6:3 NIV

This article is brought to you by the Advanced Writers and Speakers Association (AWSA).

About the author: Sheri Schofield, award-winning author and Bible teacher, has added a new way to share faith in Jesus: Her latest book, Before You Find Me, is a contemporary romantic suspense featuring a strong Christian who faces a crisis that tests her courage. Tara, a freshman at West Texas A&M whose parents are dead, learns that her younger sister witnessed a murder. To protect her siblings, she must spirit them out of Texas before the murderer learns there was a witness to his act. Tara has one day in which to act. Can she do it? She remembers a family ranch in Montana…and Ben, the boy next-door, who captured her heart once. Will he still be there? Will he help her protect her family now? This book entertains while it presents godly responses to danger and struggles. Sometimes fiction can draw people closer to God when they will not be drawn by nonfiction. Before You Find Me is available at http://www.sherischofield.com.

Join the conversation: What do you imagine could be God’s new name for you?

The End of the Roll

by Nan Corbett Allen

Remember when we used to put real film into real cameras? Those little rolls of celluloid that had “leaders” that you must load correctly into the camera, otherwise they wouldn’t wind right? And sometimes we realized that we had a few more frames left on a roll that we didn’t want to waste, so we took a few random shots to finish it out? Then we had to unload the film cartridge and take it to the drug store to be processed, not knowing if the pictures would come out right until after we picked them up?

I recently saw some old pictures that we had taken that fit into the end-of-the-roll category. They were usually not staged or planned. They were just random shots. And sometimes these were the best parts of the roll. Funny, cute pictures of my young children or my husband doing something sweet or silly. Afterthoughts, you might say.

As a proponent of “finding God’s profound in the mundane,” I realize that these afterthoughts are some of the tastiest spices of life. In the dark rooms of our existence, images can appear that weren’t posed or planned or even expected, and yet they can reveal the most precious memories and lessons.

How can seemingly unimportant things become the best bigger-than-life experiences? It’s all about perspective. Sometimes it takes scrutiny; being on the lookout for little, insignificant events.

My sister gave me an afghan for Christmas one year. You know the kind, the cotton ones that you throw over your feet while you’re watching TV. I had several already, hanging on the backs of chairs in my house. But this one was different. It was very pretty like the others, but rather than it having some kind of patchwork or Southwestern design, this one was a piece of art, a Thomas Kinkade print woven into the fabric. I studied the picture and saw it looked a lot like the original painting by the artist.

“I wonder how they do that,” I thought to myself, figuring that it had to be stamped on the afghan after it was woven at a factory somewhere. Then I noticed the frayed edges all the way around the entire afghan. I realized then that each little thread was colored just so, so that when woven together into the fabric with the other threads it painted this lovely picture.

I realized that life was really like this afghan, a tapestry, threads of insignificant experiences woven together to make a beautiful picture.  Some of the threads, when looked at closely, individually aren’t very pretty.  A few of them maybe could be considered beautiful, but most were neither; just ordinary run-of-the mill threads. Nothing spectacular. And for sure, none could stand alone to make an impressive design. 

It would be nice if we could unfold the entire tapestry of our lives and look at the whole picture. But God only allows us to see the threads one at a time. Mother Teresa once said, “God accomplishes His work through the small things.”

Watch and listen and capture those incidental, serendipitous snapshots that might be at the end of the roll. There may be some wonderful revelations found in what you hadn’t expected.

My thoughts are not your thoughts, Nor are your ways My ways, declares the Lord.
 For as the heavens are higher than the earth, So are My ways higher than your ways
And My thoughts than your thoughts.  Isaiah 55: 8-9 NASB

This article is brought to you by the Advanced Writers and Speakers Association (AWSA).

About the author: Nan Corbitt Allen has written over 100 published dramatic musicals, sketchbooks, and collections in collaboration with Dennis Allen, her husband of 45+ years. A three-time Dove Award winner, Nan’s lyrics and dramas have been performed around the world. Dennis and Nan have sold almost 3 million choral books. Nan and Dennis retired in 2020 from full time teaching at Truett McConnell University. They now live south of Nashville. They have two grown sons and two beautiful grandchildren.

Nan’s book, Small Potatoes @ the Piggly Wiggly, is a collection of devotionals that reveal the great impact seemingly insignificant, routine experiences can have in our lives. She describes what she learned of God’s providence and wisdom while growing up in the Deep South in the 1950’s and 60’s.

Join the conversation: What things have you done recently that you feel to be eternal?

Expectations vs. Expectancy

by Ava Pennington

Have you recently experienced frustration? Something or someone irritated you?  Plans didn’t go your way?

That seems to be happening to me more as of late. I get annoyed at the increased seasonal traffic in south Florida. I’m frustrated by people who don’t follow through on what they said they would do. I’m irritated by circumstances that cause me to make two separate trips to purchase the same item.

But what if the cause of the irritation is not external at all? What if I’m the cause of my own frustration? Someone once said “the level of your frustration is directly related to the level of your expectations.”

Ouch.

So the real cause of my own grief is most likely…me.

Knowing we live in a broken world, why do I go through life expecting people to respond perfectly? Especially when I know I don’t!

Understanding that our little town experiences a population surge during the winter season, why do I get annoyed at the increased traffic?

Failing to take the time to plan properly, why am I surprised that one task requires multiple trips to the store?

Unrealistic expectations. Expectations grounded in reality as I want it to be, rather than the way it is.

Ancient Israel had a similar problem. Their expectations of the coming Messiah were based on cherry-picked prophecies. The sad result was that they didn’t recognize Him when He did come. They were so busy looking for a victorious military leader that they missed the Suffering Servant who came to redeem humanity.

So what’s the answer?

I believe the answer for a Christian is to live expectantly.

To live expectantly is to live in without setting specific expectations or demands on what that will look like. Living expectantly allows us to recognize where the Holy Spirit might be moving in areas we would not normally look for Him. And it communicates that we are satisfied with whatever the Lord does, allows, or gives—without comparing it to our own agenda or shopping list.

Those who live expectantly have the privilege of living out a truth understood by martyred missionary Jim Elliot: “God always gives His best to those who leave the choice with him.”

Will you join me? Together, let’s put aside our expectations and live in daily expectancy for how God will show Himself active in our life. And as He does, share your experiences with others to increase their own sense of expectancy.

“He was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief; and as one from whom men hide their faces he was despised, and we esteemed him not” (Isaiah 53:3 ESV).

This article is brought to you by the Advanced Writers and Speakers Association (AWSA).

About the Author: Ava Pennington is an author, speaker, and Bible teacher. She’s also a freelance editor, and a certified coach for writers and speakers, and she teaches a weekly Bible Study Fellowship (BSF) class. Ava is the author of Reflections on the Names of God: 180 Devotions to Know God More Fully (Revell Books, 2022), an abridged gift book edition of the one-year devotional, Daily Reflections on the Names of God. Three devotions for each name/attribute explore who God is, and how this changes us and our relationships. Visit her at www.AvaPennington.com to learn more.

Join the conversation: How are you living expectantly?

Speak of the Devil: “He Has No Claim on Me”

by Patti Richter

Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. 1 Peter 5:8 ESV

Plenty of people these days doubt there’s an actual devil, which is strange considering we see so much evil in the world. But I suspect a lot of these same folks also have a hard time believing in God. In this era of diverse and blended religious thinking, even some would-be followers of God have “progressed” to an acceptable view of him that leaves out any righteous wrath and punishment for sin.

Yet viewing God as merely benevolent isn’t so new. Charles Spurgeon, a Baptist preacher in the 1800s, observed in his day the rejection of biblical truth in place of more palatable theology: “Man fashions for himself a god after his own liking… out of what he calls his own consciousness, or his cultured thought, a deity to his taste, who will not be too severe.”

This popular view of God—all love and no judgment—discounts or dismisses the devil and demons. The term “fire and brimstone” is now antiquated, a throwback to tent revivals. The mention of sin, too, has become obsolete. And perpetrators of evil are so often viewed as mentally unstable, or “victims” of their circumstances.

Jesus, having come from heaven, had a clear view of both sin and the devil, who he described as, “a murderer from the beginning… a liar and the father of lies” (John 8:44 ESV). Before his ministry began, Jesus was tempted by the devil and rebuked him by name, “Be gone, Satan!” (Matthew 4:10 ESV).

He proceeded to cast out evil spirits in “many who were oppressed by demons” (Matt. 8:16 ESV). Jesus sometimes attributed illness or disability to the devil, as when he healed a woman in a synagogue, “a daughter of Abraham whom Satan bound for eighteen years,” (Luke 13:16 ESV).

The writer of Hebrews explained that believers are not immune to the devil’s schemes: “At present, we do not yet see everything in subjection to [man]. But we see him who for a little while was made lower than the angels, namely Jesus… that through death he might destroy the one who has the power of death, that is, the devil, …  because he himself has suffered when tempted, he is able to help those who are being tempted” (Hebrews 2:8, 9, 14, 18 ESV). 

So, meanwhile, the devil may show up at our front door, disguised “as an angel of light” (2 Corinthians 11:14 ESV). Or he may seek a window of opportunity.

Jesus said of Satan, “He has no claim on me” (John 14:30 ESV). Through faith in Christ, and by the power of his indwelling Spirit, we can say the same.

This article is brought to you by the Advanced Writers and Speakers Association (AWSA).

About the author: Patti Richter lives in north Georgia with her husband, Jim. She is a freelance journalist and long-time faith columnist at BlueRibbonNews.com with more than four hundred published articles.

Patti is the co-author of the award-winning Signs of His Presence—Experiencing God’s Comfort in Times of Suffering. It is the story of Luann Mire, whose godly husband was blindsided by an indictment due to a former employer’s tax fraud. The resulting prison sentence and restitution took the once joyful couple into a long season of suffering as they fought judicial tyranny. Helpless to change her situation, Luann endured a painful examination of her life and found God faithful to His promises.

Join the conversation: Have you ever felt you discerned an evil spirit at work? What happened?

The Dog Whisperer

by Julie Zine Coleman

My son, do not reject the discipline of the Lord or loathe His reproof. For whom the Lord loves He reproves, even as a father corrects the son in whom he delights. Proverbs 3:11, 12

After watching a few short episodes, I became a huge fan of “The Dog Whisperer.” The trainer’s name is Cesar Millan, and he is a dog behavior psychologist. And he is awesome.

When our previous dog, Sasha, first came to live with us, I was responsible for her morning walks. It wasn’t long before she began to show her aggressive side and became harder and harder to control. She was extremely strong and would pull me along as fast as she could. It was all I could do to hold on.

When we encountered a jogger, or heaven forbid, another dog, Sasha fiercely barked and ran circles around me in frenzied excitement. Then for the rest of the walk, she was out of control.  She dragged me along, wheezing and choking on her restraint in her efforts to move forward in her continued excitement. We would both get quite a workout.

While I waited for her training classes to begin, my kids set me on to The Dog Whisperer. He can get an aggressive dog to fall into line while walking in about ten seconds. It is amazing to watch.

One of the first things he does is get the dog in the correct frame of mind before even opening the front door. The dog is made to sit.  Stay calm.  And wait for the command to get up after the door is open. The owner exits the house first. Once walking, the dog remains either by the owner’s side or behind him and is corrected every time she begins to pull away. The leash is kept short, keeping her in check.

The big challenge, of course, is when another dog appears on the scene. The dog tries to go wild. But the Dog Whisperer does not allow her to stay worked up. He immediately gets the dog to sit and keep her attention on him. Sometimes he must make the dog lie on her side in a totally submissive position.

Once the dog has calmed down, Milan allows her to continue the walk. The dog is no longer stressed by the presence of another dog. No longer does she feel a need to prove her superiority over the neighborhood dogs. With the owner in charge, she is relieved and free to enjoy the walk.

You probably have already guessed where I am going with this metaphor. Our Heavenly Father corrects us and disciplines us because He delights in us. “For our [earthly fathers] disciplined us for a short time as seemed best to them, but [God] disciplines us for our good, so that we may share His holiness. For the moment, all discipline seems not to be pleasant, but painful; yet to those who have been trained by it, afterward it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness” (Hebrews 12:10-11 NASB). Did you catch that? In the long run, God’s discipline produces peace.

God loves us far too much to allow us to allow us to continue down the destructive path of self-sufficiency. So He quietly and consistently puts things in our lives that keep us on our knees. We are drawn to Him by need, and remain by His side through the circumstance, learning to be submissive to His will as we walk with Him.

Ultimately, that state of mind is where we can find peace and relaxation.  It is a relief to let Him be in charge! He always was; we just needed to be reminded. When we again acknowledge this, we are free to enjoy the walk once again.

Eventually, Sasha learned to enjoy the walk, thanks to what we learned from The Dog Whisperer. She would come home happy, relaxed, and in a great state of mind.  And yes, it did wonders for our relationship!

This article is brought to you by the Advanced Writers and Speakers Association (AWSA).

About the author: Julie Zine Coleman helps others to understand and know an unexpected God. A popular conference and retreat speaker, she holds an M.A. in biblical studies. Julie is the managing editor for Arise Daily. When she is not glaring at her computer, she spends time with her grandchildren, gardening, or crafting. More on Julie can be found at her new website JulieZineColeman.com and Facebook.

Many Christian women are torn between the church’s traditional teachings on gender roles and the liberty they experience in secular society. But what if the church’s conventional interpretations aren’t really biblical at all? Julie’s new book, On Purpose, is a careful study of the passages in the Bible often interpreted to limit women in the church, at home, or in the workplace. Each chapter reveals timeless biblical principles that actually teach freedom, not limitation. On Purpose was recently named the Golden Scrolls 2022 Book of the Year. 

Join the conversation. When have you found yourself pulling and going ahead of God? What happened?

D-anger

by Cherrilynn Bisbano

Do not be quickly provoked in your spirit, for anger resides in the lap of fools. Ecclesiastes 7:9 NIV

I LOST IT! It was gone. I was so upset I refused to look for it! However, If I did not find it, my family would be in dire need of emotional repair.

What did I lose? What brings pain and destruction to my family? My temper. My loss of self control. My mind. I pray you will continue to read this knowing I am a flawed follower of Christ.

I crushed the fruit of the Spirit because I wanted my way.

I long to react to every defiant answer from my child, or flippant remark from a loved one, with a gentle answer. Even when they don’t.

One of our family verses: “A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger” (Proverbs 15:1 NIV). So, even while knowing this, why did I lose it this morning? Why did I yell?

I asked my son three times to brush his teeth. His reply, “Not right now.”

“You’re going to be late for the bus.”

“Just one more minute,” he said as he turned the tv louder.

“NO, NOW!” I shut the TV off mid-show. “No more TV before school.” He stormed out of the room, brushed his teeth, and left for the bus stop. No kiss, not even a grunt goodbye.

I felt horrible. I searched the Bible for verses on anger. I found: “Do not be quickly provoked in your spirit, for anger resides in the lap of fools.” (Ecclesiastes 7:9 NIV).

A FOOL! Ouch!  The word of God calls me a fool, and I felt like one! I don’t want to be a fool anymore. The Hebrew word for “resides” is nuwach – which means to rest, settle down, or remain. 

There still may be hope for me after all.

I stood. I visualized the anger falling from my lap, crashing to the floor. I always need to stand. Stand up against foolishness. My foolishness.

So how do I stop? Anger goes deep. Getting to its root is vital for change. My friend, Cecil Murphy, describes it this way: “I’m seldom angry about what I think I’m Angry.”

I get angry when my son does not act as I expect. I get angry when no one listens to me. Lord, I expect respect. Is that too much to ask?

I continued my prayer with Psalm 139:23-24, “Search me, God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me and lead me in the way everlasting” (NIV).

God revealed my sin to me. I had seeded my anger in unmet expectations. I expected my son to behave and respect my request every time. When he disobeyed, I resorted to screaming. Instead, I needed to be firm with my words and give consequences.

I endured verbal wrath from my biological father. I don’t want to parent like him. I am glad God doesn’t treat me like I treated my son.

When my son returned home, I asked for forgiveness. He hugged me and asked for a snack. Yup! He forgave me. The Lord and I still work on unbalanced expectations. However, on that day, I felt less foolish when my anger finally subsided.

A person’s wisdom yields patience; it is to one’s glory to overlook an offense. Proverbs 19:11 NIV

This article is brought to you by the Advanced Writers and Speakers Association (AWSA).

About the author: Cherrilynn Bisbano is an award-winning writer in both fiction and non-fiction. She is a coach, ghostwriter, editor, and speaker. She is honored to be a member of AWSA.You can find her published in several online magazines and blogs along with books.  Her latest book, Shine Don’t Whine, released in October 2020. Cherrilynn proudly served in the Navy and Air National Guard. She lives with her son, Michael, Jr., and husband of 22 years. Cherrilynn loves Christ, Chocolate, coffee, and Cats. You will often find her on the beach sea glass hunting.

Join the conversation. What sparks anger for you? Do you expect too much from others?

Beneath His Wings

by Harriet E. Michael

Did you know that God uses metaphors about birds who are parenting to describe Himself?  We see this in several places. Moses sang, “As an eagle stirs up its nest, and hovers over its young, He spread His wings, He caught them, He carried them on His pinions” (Deuteronomy 32:11 NASB). We see another comparison in Psalm 91:4: “He will cover you with his feathers, and under his wings you will find refuge; his faithfulness will be your shield and rampart.…” (NIV). 

Did you know that both male and female eagles sit on their eggs and help raise, nurture, and protect their young? A couple of months ago, I read about a thirty-one-year-old male eagle named Murphy who lived in a bird sanctuary in Missouri. Murphy made the news when a visitor to the park tweeted a picture of him sitting on the ground next to a sign that told visitors he was okay, just a little confused. What was he confused about? He was sitting on and trying to incubate a small rock that he apparently thought was an egg. The sign read, “Murphy is NOT hurt, sick. Or otherwise in distress. He has built a nest on the ground and is very carefully incubating a rock! We wish him the best of luck!”

Luck came Murphy’s way just a few weeks after the viral tweet when someone brought a battered and bruised little eaglet to the sanctuary whose nest had been blown down by high winds. The sanctuary made the decision to place the eaglet in Murphy’s enclosure for him to foster.

At first the eaglet was in a protective box. It didn’t take long for Murphy to respond to its little chirps and the sanctuary decided to let the eaglet out of his box to see how Murphy would respond. Murphy shared his fish with the little guy almost right away. In no time, Murphy started bonding with him, modeling eagle behavior, and parenting the little guy like any good eagle dad would.

I loved this story when I first heard about it. I can just imagine Murphy’s joy when he received that little eaglet to raise … if eagles are capable of experiencing joy, that is. God did something similar with us too, minus the trying to incubate a rock part, of course. God took us who were not His and grafted us into His family.

Paul describes God’s grafting as He brought us into His family. “…You, though a wild olive shoot, have been grafted in among the others and now share in the nourishing sap from the olive root” (Romans 11: 24 NIV). Earlier in Romans, Paul states it even more clearly: “…God demonstrates his own love for us in this; while we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8 NIV). John writes, “Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God” (John 1: 12 NIV).

I could go on and on sharing Bible verses that describe how God adopted us as His own. Whole books could be written on this topic! Suffice it to say, this is an eternal truth—if we receive Jesus as our personal Savior, then we become children of God. And just like that little eaglet received Murphy’s provisions (his fish) and Murphy’s attention, protection, and help, even though he was not actually Murphy’s hatchling, as God’s adopted children, we receive so much that we did not earn and do not deserve.

He will cover you with his feathers, and under his wings you will find refuge… Psalm 91:4 NIV

This article is brought to you by the Advanced Writers and Speakers Association (AWSA).

About the author: Harriet E. Michael is an award-winning and widely published author and freelance writer. She has authored or co-authored ten books, with three more under contract for release in 2024 and ’25. She has penned hundreds of articles and devotions that have been published in various publications. Her autumn devotional, Glimpses of God, focuses on how we can prepare for change and the possibility of difficult days ahead. Autumn also represents abundance and blessings.

Join the conversation: How does knowing God as a parent affect your relationship with Him?

Trusting When Your Back is Against the Wall

by Shirley Brosius

About an hour before my husband finishes a dialysis treatment, his blood pressure sometimes soars to dangerous levels, so I began praying for him at that time. I am not good at praying. I can’t go on and on about a specific request. As I begged God to keep Bill’s blood pressure stable, I became more distressed the longer I prayed.

I decided that instead of a long prayer focused on Bill, I would pray for him then read inspirational writings focused on God. That has changed the atmosphere of my dialysis prayer time. Through my readings I become less distressed and more trustful of the God who reigns over the health of us all.

Trust. Hard to do when your back is against the wall. A friend of mine is going through a tough time. I told her to keep praying and that God works in our hard times. But how might I encourage her to keep trusting?

I’ve chosen to live by Proverbs 3:5-6: “Trust in the Lord with all your heart; don’t rely on your own intelligence. Know him in all your paths, and he will keep your ways straight” (CEB).

Trust in the Lord with all your heart…it rolls off my tongue. But in his book Dangerous Prayers, Craig Groeschel writes: “God showed me that what I feared the most revealed where I trusted God the least.” And I confess–I have fears, fears of Bill’s health or my own health deteriorating among other things.

According to the apostle John, fear shows a lack of love for God. “There is no fear in love, but perfect love drives out fear…The person who is afraid has not been made perfect in love” (1 John 4:18 CEB). This indicates I need to grow in my love for God. More love means less fear.

Don’t rely on your own intelligence…We think we’re so smart. Scientists thought they knew everything about space and the origin of the universe, but now the Webb telescope, a large, powerful space telescope has revealed new aspects of the heavens. Science books must be revised. Scientists can no longer rely on what they “know.” And neither can I. But I can rely on God who knows everything.

Know Him in all your paths…In the translation I memorized long ago, this verse reads “Acknowledge him in all your ways.” But we don’t want to just “acknowledge” God as we might acknowledge with a nod of the head an acquaintance who enters a room.  Rather we want to know God, just like we know our family members. 

That’s why we learn His likes and dislikes in Scripture and talk with Him in prayer. Only after we know God can we consider whether our way of life pleases God. How is our communication within our families? Our language? Our workplace relationships? Do we seek God’s nearness throughout the day?

And He will keep your ways straight…As we look to Him and trust Him, God guides us into a way of life pleasing to Him. He helps us navigate twists, turns, and bumps in the road. And remember: God is trust-worthy, worthy of our trust!

Trusting God may be challenging, but it’s mind-boggling rewarding. I know I would be a calmer, more peaceful person if I could fully trust. I’m not there yet. After all, I’m only in my 80’s (smile). But I’m hanging on to God’s Word and holding onto His hand. And I hope you’ll join hands with us.

This article is brought to you by the Advanced Writers and Speakers Association (AWSA).

About the author: A former teacher and director of Christian education, Shirley Brosius is the author of Sisterhood of Faith: 365 Life-Changing Stories about Women Who Made a Difference and coauthor of Turning Guilt Trips into Joy Rides. She and her husband Bill enjoy doing jigsaw puzzles and watching “Jeopardy.” You can learn more about her writing and speaking ministry at www.shirleybrosius.com and http://www.friendsoftheheart.us.

Join the conversation: How are you increasing your ability to trust?

Who Do You Love?

by Sheri Schofield

When we first moved to Wyoming, I noticed there were mourning doves, also known as turtle doves, at our new home. By the time we finally moved into the house, it was mid-December. The air was freezing. When the doves flew, they made a squeaky sound. I wasn’t sure what it meant at first. My first thought was, “Are they complaining about the cold air when they fly? Is this their way of saying ‘Burr! It’s cooooold out here!’?”

Ha! A lot I knew!

As the weather warmed up, I noticed they weren’t making those noises anymore. Yes, they squeaked, but not like before. Curious, I looked up information about them. It turns out, they have whistles built into their feathers! When they fly because of alarm, the way they flap their wings makes squeaky noises because they are afraid! Other birds and small animals hear the squealy noise and go into hiding. I can relate to that. I sometimes feel like squeaking when I’m afraid, too!

The real reason the doves no longer squeak has nothing to do with the warm weather. They just aren’t afraid of me anymore. They’ve relaxed. They’ve learned I’m not their enemy.

There was a young girl in the land of Israel who was captured by a band of raiders from Aram, part of present-day Syria. Naaman, a commander serving the king of Aram, took the girl home to become a servant for his wife. At first, the girl was undoubtedly very frightened. She was taken from her home and even her country, and now found herself a captive maid serving her nation’s enemies.

But like the doves around our house, she soon became accustomed to her new life and began to care for her captors instead of hating them.

Naaman developed leprosy, which would have led to his being banned from the town if it became known. But the young maid had mercy on him. She told her mistress about Elisha, the prophet in Israel. She said Elisha would heal her master if Naaman would go to him. She did not withhold knowledge of the one, true God from her captors. She acted in love.

Naaman went to see Elisha, but the prophet wouldn’t even come out to see him. Instead, he told Naaman to dip himself in the Jordan river seven times, and he would be healed.

“What?” Naaman turned his chariots around and left in a great rage. He told his servants. “I thought that he would surely come out to me and stand and call on the name of the Lord his God, wave his hand over the spot and cure me of leprosy. Are not Abana and Pharpar, the rivers of Damascus, better than the waters of Israel? Couldn’t I wash in them and be cleansed?”

Naaman’s servants went to him and said, “My father, if the prophet had told you to do something great, would you not have done it? How much more, then, when he tells you, ‘Wash and be cleansed’!” (2 Kings 5:11-13 NLT).

So Naaman did as he had been told. He dipped himself in the Jordan river seven times, and he was totally healed. This marked his conversion to the God of Israel.

The miracle was possible because a young girl refused to hold a grudge against her captor and chose to share the information about Elisha, which led Naaman to become a follower of the one true God.

Because this young maid turned her back on fear and chose to love her enemy, we will see them both in heaven someday.

There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear. I John 4:18 NIV

This article is brought to you by the Advanced Writers and Speakers Association (AWSA).

About the author: Sheri Schofield, award-winning author and Bible teacher, has added a new way to share faith in Jesus: Her latest book, Before You Find Me, is a contemporary romantic suspense featuring a strong Christian who faces a crisis that tests her courage. Tara, a freshman at West Texas A&M whose parents are dead, learns that her younger sister witnessed a murder. To protect her siblings, she must spirit them out of Texas before the murderer learns there was a witness to his act. Tara has one day in which to act. Can she do it? She remembers a family ranch in Montana…and Ben, the boy next-door, who captured her heart once. Will he still be there? Will he help her protect her family now? This book entertains while it presents godly responses to danger and struggles. Sometimes fiction can draw people closer to God when they will not be drawn by nonfiction. Before You Find Me is available at http://www.sherischofield.com.

Join the conversation: How has love conquered fear in your life?

Spiritual Birthmarks

by Heather Norman Smith

The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Galatians 5:22, 23 ESV

There’s a deformity along the top of my left ear. When my hair is pulled into a ponytail, and if you look closely enough, you can see it. Most people don’t notice, and I hardly ever think about it, but the bumpy ridge of skin has been part of me since I was born. It’s my birthmark.

My three biological children have their own marks—a small brown circle on their skin, curiously similar to each other’s but in different locations. The oldest child’s is on her leg; my second-born has one on her back; and the third child has one on his arm. I’ve always been fascinated by these physical marks. Even my fourth child, who is adopted, has a similar spot on his stomach.

Birthmarks are just one of the things that make each of us unique. Many people have some kind of distinct mark on their bodies when they are born. But what about when we are born again?

When the Jewish leader Nicodemus came to Jesus, he marveled at Jesus’s teaching of a new birth. Jesus told him, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God” (John 3:3 NKJV).

I believe our spiritual birth comes with a mark, too—qualities that identify us as believers and set us apart from the world. When we are born again through faith in Jesus, we are given the Holy Spirit to dwell within us. Paul talks about this in his letter to the Ephesians. “…Having also believed, you were sealed in Him with the Holy Spirit of the promise, who is a first installment of our inheritance, in regard to the redemption of God’s own possession…” (Ephesians 1:13-14 NASB). Just as circumcision outwardly marked God’s chosen people, we are marked inwardly as God’s children.

There are outward birthmarks as well, as the Holy Spirit does His transformational work in us. Galatians 5:22-23 teaches that those who belong to Christ will show the fruits of the Holy Spirit in their lives.

Because we still struggle with our flesh, qualities like patience and goodness can be unattainable apart from the Holy Spirit. After all, they’re not known as “fruits of the believer.” The Spirit plants them, and we are responsible to grow them through our relationship with Jesus. This means spending time in the Word and in prayer. The more I pray, the more self-control and faithfulness I have. The more I read the Bible, the more love and joy I have.

As the fruits of the Spirit grow, they become our mark—the sign of our new birth. And these spiritual birthmarks will be noticeable to those around us still living in darkness.  

This article is brought to you by the Advance Writers and Speakers Association (AWSA).

About the author: Heather Norman Smith is an author of Christian Fiction set in her home state of North Carolina. Her goal is to entertain and encourage while illuminating the redemptive love of God. Learn more about her work at

heathernormansmith.com and amazon.com/Heather-Norman-Smith/e/B07DWLCXYG.

Join the conversation: What do you do to grow the fruit of the Spirit within you?