OG Devos – “Pain”

Recently, while “cleaning up” old files that were saved on my computer, I came across the original 20 year-old manuscript of Devotions For Difficult Days. As I’ve read through the OG devos, the memories of His faithfulness in the midst of pain, come rushing back to my heart. I so clearly see the grace and mercy of God on my life and His ability to walk us through trials. Not necessarily removing the painful events, but giving us His wisdom and grace to walk through them. It’s also a real-life example of Romans 8:28 and Ephesians 1:11 which says in part, He is “working all things according to the counsel of His will.” And His promise to bring good from all we face – If we put our lives in His hands.

I have decided to share a few of these OG devos from years past, in their original form for the most part. You may notice a few grammar issues or strange sentence structure. Please  try to look past that, and land on the lesson He was teaching me at the time, and maybe even use it to remind/or teach you as well.

For His glory,

Becky White

Pain

As a father pities his children so the Lord takes pity on those who fear Him.

He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how will He not also with Him freely give us all things?

We love Him because He first loved us.

Psalm 103:13      Romans 8:32   1 John 4:19 

While watching my youngest son prepare for dental surgery, I was filled with a jumble of emotions. Apprehension, anxiety, and the longing to protect. He balked at the idea of anesthesia, even crying and trying to pull off the gas mask. He cried out “I can’t breathe” and dug his finger nails into my arm. I assured him “I would never allow anyone to hurt you, or put something on you that would keep you from breathing.” I’m not so sure he believed me. After all, it was me who was holding his arms down. I could have stopped the whole torturous affair with just one word but I didn’t. Not only did I not stop the process, I planned it, worked out all the details and set his “trial” into motion. Some mom I am.

I wanted desperately to say “Stop! change my mind.” And then hold him. Hug him. Love on him. But – I knew the reason for allowing him such discomfort. I understood that in the end, he would be glad he’d endured such difficulty. But right now…in the middle of the pain and fearful expectation, he couldn’t see that. Heck, I could barely see it.

I wonder if that’s not what happens to us when God allows difficulty into our lives. Does He hold our hand and allow us to dig our nails in while crying “I can’t take this! Stop the pain.” All the  while knowing that it will be for our benefit in the long run. Do His eyes figuratively well with tears as we wiggle to get away from the heat, wanting to protect us yet knowing that it must be done? Knowing we will be glad for having endured it in the end? I wonder.

I hope my son will come to understand how much I love him and that he can trust in that love. Trust me to make choices in his long-term best interest, even when that means a season of pain, even when he cannot understand.

And we can trust in the Father’s love for us, even when we don’t understand the “why” of it all.

Father, Thank You for being willing to be misunderstood. And for loving me even as I try to wrestle control from You, as if I know better than You. Help me trust You. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Written by Becky White for the Lord Jesus

“Recipe” for Peace?

Be still and rest in the Lord; wait for Him and patiently lean yourself upon Him; fret not yourself because of him who prospers in his way, because of the man who brings wicked schemes to pass. 

Do not fret or have any anxiety about anything, but in every circumstance and in everything, by prayer and petition (definite requests), with thanksgiving, continue to make your wants known to God.

And God’s peace [shall be yours]…[His peace] which transcends all understanding shall garrison and mount guard over your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.

Psalm 37:7  Philippians 4:6-7  AMPC 

I’m not very good at following a recipe. It probably stems from years of creating my famous “what’s in the frig?”  casserole, working to stretch a dollar and the contents of the frig. Tossing in whatever we had, to create the hoped-for taste. Eyeballing and improvising my way through the cooking until a “casserole surprise,” of culinary delight appeared on the table.

 Note given to me over 20 years ago by my mentor and spiritual mom, Jeanne Liston, it was her recipe for encouragement.

While this approach worked great for hamburger surprise, it doesn’t work well when dealing with the real-world challenges of depression, sadness, stress, heaviness and anxiety. These heavy weights that seem to be spiraling in our world today, require a step-by-step, grab-my-glasses, follow the recipe approach. We dare not ignore the ingredient list the Lord has offered us or the steps He has provided. If we follow His instructions, the end result will be His peace that is beyond our understanding. Not a shallow circumstance-based peace … But peace no matter the circumstance….

Though I’m not a *doctor nor do I play one on TV, I have walked through seasons of great difficulty and depression inducing trials, and have found by experience, the great faithfulness of our Father God to provide authentic peace that was beyond my understanding.

So here’s my tried and true “recipe” for handling the inevitable emotional roller coaster of our world.

At the first sign of painful emotions bubbling up, I talk to the Lord about it. I know that sounds too simple, but it’s surprising how often we don’t follow this most important step.

Secondly, I open His Word (the Bible) to **Psalms anywhere. I jokingly say “anywhere” but truly, the book of Psalms is medicine to the hurting heart and mind. Read it out loud and offer the Psalmist’s words back to the Lord as your own prayer. Allow these words to speak your heart when you have no words to articulate your pain or sense of heaviness. Believer and Quadriplegic, Joni Eareckson Tada, puts it this way, “The Psalms wrap nouns and verbs around our pain better than any other book.” Yes it does.

Next, I turn in the New Testament to Philippians 4, reading aloud His words as they wash over my spirit…reminding me not to fret or have anxiety about anything but to pray about everything. Knowing He promises to literally protect my mind from the enemy, as I turn my anxieties over to Him with a heart of thankfulness. Reading further in chapter 4 , I am reminded to be careful what I allow my mind to dwell on.

Be careful what you allow your mind to dwell on.

I wish I could promise that following this “recipe” would remove the thing causing  emotional pain or depression, it won’t. But it will enable us to walk through the unavoidable valleys of life…with an unexplainable soul-deep peace unmoved by the waves of difficulty.

My Lord, so many times You have used Your Word to wash over my troubled spirit – providing Your peace in the midst of difficulties. Please enable those walking through emotional pain today to lean onto You and entrust their soul to Your care. In Jesus’ mighty name, Amen.

*Of course, there are some situations where a doctor’s counsel is needed – but never to the neglect of God’s Word.

Click here to purchase a hard copy or download a FREE pdf of the devotional, Stony Paths learning to trust Him as we walk the Stony Paths of real life.

Written by Becky White for the Lord Jesus

Podcast suggestion

Please, please, please, take a moment and listen to this podcast by Pastor Jack Hibbs, on the topic of deception. In our world today, there’s hardly a place to land our feet on the solid rock of truth. Any truth. Though I think the Law of gravity may still be standing, not much else is left. Each of us are vulnerable to deception. Be aware.

The only sure Rock and source of Truth, is the Word of God – the Bible. Know it. Live in it. Be absorbed by it. Above all, know its Author.

https://podcast.jackhibbs.com/

In His service, Becky White

No Sugar-Coatings

Our hope for you is unshaken, for we know that as you share in our sufferings, you will also share in our comfort. For we do not want you to be unaware, brothers, of the affliction we experienced in Asia. For we were so utterly burdened beyond our strength that we despaired of life itself. Indeed, we felt that we had received the sentence of death. But that was to make us rely not on ourselves but on God who raises the dead. He delivered us from such a deadly peril, and he will deliver us. On him we have set our hope that he will deliver us again. 2 Corinthians 1:7-10

“…but this happened so that we would not trust in ourselves, but in God who raises the dead.” 2 Corinthians 1:9b AMP

I wince every time I hear the phrase or read a meme that says, “God won’t give us more than we can handle.” Because if you’ve been alive longer than ten minutes, you probably know experientially that there are indeed circumstances that are beyond us. Circumstances that send us reeling or that bring us to our literal knees with their gut-punch of ache and pain. If you’ve never experienced it, I bet you know someone who has.

I appreciate how authentic God’s Word is when dealing with real-life issues. No sugar-coating reality. In today’s scripture, the apostle Paul admits that the trial he’s just come out of was “utterly burdened beyond his own strength to endure” in fact, he “despaired of life,” it was so difficult. He wanted his fellow Believers to know that he understood their trials because he had walked through many himself. And In fact, they were so bad he felt like dying. He knew that such intense pain can cause God’s people to question all they know about Him and His promises.

Then we read this crucial point; “But this happened so that we would not trust in ourselves, but in God who raises the dead.” Wait. Full stop. This whole trial was allowed, and then used by Almighty God, to reveal and uproot any trust/reliance that was not in God Himself. Used to literally teach/train the apostle to stop trusting in himself, but instead, “In God, who raises the dead.” If He can give life to dead bodies … He can give life to dead circumstances, dreams, marriages, hopes, heart-aches.… He wanted the reader to know this too.

When I overlay that truth onto my own life, I clearly see that such “shadow of death” trials have drawn me to my knees in dependance on the Lord. But first, the trial did its (very painful) work of causing all my other life-lines to fail. Teaching and training in the discipline of trusting Him, no matter the circumstance. Now, I wish I could tell you that this is a one-time, deep-trial event. It isn’t. This learning to trust when we have no strength to endure or when all hope is lost, or when we can’t see our way clear, is something we learn layer by layer, event by event. Until, one day we realize that our natural reaction has become, trust in God and not ourselves. Trust in God and not our ability, or our bank account, or our spouse, or good health, or _____________.  (And even then, refresher courses are needed!)

“The Psalms wrap nouns and verbs around our pain better than any other book.”

– Joni Eareckson Tada

I don’t know what trial is overwhelming you today, but He does. And He has promised to be with you, as He walks you through it. As He does, look for opportunities to purposefully trust Him along the way. Not for a picture-perfect, magazine-cover outcome, but to simply trust Him, whatever the outcome. He is good and He is entirely faithful. As always, let me encourage you to get out your Bible and read the Psalms or listen on a Bible app. Be proactive in your relationship with Him.

Don’t forget, there is more than one team on this field of life. The enemy would like nothing better than to discourage you and bring you to despair. Your Father God would like nothing better than to give you hope. Authentic hope. Found only in Him.

“True wisdom is found in trusting God when you can’t figure things out.”

– Joni Eareckson Tada

Father God, we sometimes walk through trials that feel more than we can bear. At those times, please remind us to trust in You and Your ability. To find our footing in You and not our own ability to endure. We love You. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Written by Becky White for the Lord Jesus

* Though well-meaning and usually used in an effort to encourage a person walking through a trial, it can have the opposite effect. Users often inadvertently misquote or misunderstand Scripture to make the point. It’s true that God will not allow us to be tempted beyond our ability to endure, that’s because in the midst of the temptation He has promised to provide a way of escape. Even then, He is the One providing a way for us. However, we must take the offered escape hatch or it will become more than we can endure. 1 Corinthians 10:13

Click here to purchase a hard copy or get a FREE pdf of the devotional, Stony Paths

Flawed Clay

I went down to the potter’s house and saw him working at the wheel. But the vessel that he was shaping from the clay became flawed in his hand; so he formed it into another vessel, as it seemed best for him to do. Then the word of the LORD came to me, saying, “O house of Israel, declares the LORD, can I not treat you as this potter treats his clay? Just like clay in the potter’s hand, so are you in My hand, O house of Israel.

Jeremiah 18:3-5   Berean Study Bible

As part of my night-time routine, I usually turn on the One Year Audio Bible and listen as I drift off to sleep. One particular night, as I listened and attempted to let go of the day’s headlines, I heard these words spoken by the prophet Jeremiah, “The vessel became flawed in his hands, so he formed it into another vessel.”

The words jolted me awake, and lingered in my heart as I drifted back to sleep. “Became flawed… formed into another vessel.”

Flawed Clay. That’s me all right.

It spoke so loudly to me that I awoke the next morning still absorbing its meaning. To me. I realize the Lord was specifically providing an illustration to the nation of Israel, yet we are always to ask the Lord how His Word applies to us as well.

How often I am that flawed lump of clay. Feeling like I’ve blown it or am of little use because of past failures or past wounds or lack of ability, etc. Yet, like that flawed lump of clay, He willingly puts me, puts us, back on the wheel, to reshape, rework and remold. Such patience and tender love as He reshapes these lumps of flawed clay.  His ability to take a mess and turn it to something beautiful is beyond me.

Have you ever felt like you’ve blown it? Gone too far? That maybe you’ve somehow missed God’s will for your life? Perhaps, like me, you have lost count at the number of times you’ve felt like that flawed vessel on the potter’s wheel. A lump of clay, marred by imperfections, feeling beyond use to the Lord or those around you. But. Oh how I love this…He reshapes, He snips and molds and personally reworks these lumps of clay into vessels of honor. Lives transformed by the Master’s hand, ready for use.

If you’ll let Me, I’ll use your trials to make you into someone I can use in the lives of others to show them that no matter where they’ve been, no matter how deep the hole, no matter how painful the trial, there’s hope. There is victory.

–        Kay Arthur

Father, I am so thankful…so grateful… that You are willing to rework and remold and cause this flawed vessel to be of use to You and Your Kingdom…for the glory of Your great name,  and in His matchless name – Jesus. Amen

Written by Becky White for my Lord Jesus

According to God’s Word, He is more than able to toss us back on the wheel and reshape us until we are all He created us to be. Let’s be willing to stay on the wheel and let Him do His work!

Brevity of Life

All my days were written in Your book and ordained for me before one of them came to be.

Psalm 139:16b Berean Study Bible

Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life? Luke 12:25 Berean Study Bible

“LORD, remind me how brief my time on earth will be. Remind me that my days are numbered— how fleeting my life is. You have made my life no longer than the width of my hand. My entire lifetime is just a moment to you; at best, each of us is but a breath.” Psalm 39:4-5  NLT

The LORD has done great things for us, And we are glad. Psalm 126:3 NKJV

Nearly three years ago, I almost died. Almost. Coronary artery disease. Widow maker. Near total blockage. Emergency open-heart surgery. Phrases that were foreign to me, are now an everyday part of my vocabulary. On that day, in that moment, the only thing that mattered was my relationship with Jesus Christ. With that as my focus, God enabled my husband and me to walk through the near panic and what if’s, immersed in His peace. Not a peace based on an assured outcome (there was not), but His peace based on His goodness and utter faithfulness, whatever the outcome.

Through that experience, I was reminded of the obvious – eating (fairly) healthy and exercising several times a week does not carry any guarantees. In the end, the stats don’t lie, ten out of ten people die. I was no exception. And neither are you….

In an era of the twin global pandemics of fear and viruses, some of us have behaved as if we could add an hour to our life with a few Clorox wipes. We cannot. God’s Word assures us that the days ordained for us have been established before even one began. The enemy cannot steal our life away. God has the final say. What we can do is make certain of our eternal destination (1 John 5:13), then live every moment for the glory of God (Isaiah 43:7). And in the end, rest in His faithful goodness. Whatever the outcome.

The goal of our life is not to arrive safely at death. Yes, we should do our best to stay healthy so we can serve our Lord by serving those He places in our path, but our goal isn’t simply old age. Our aim is to honor the One who willingly paid the payment for our sin, every day He grants us. Leave no change on the table. Serve Him with gusto. Our Lord mingled with lepers, I think we can attend church in person or volunteer to feed the hungry. In the end, He holds our lives in His hands, and the lives of those we love. Our days are but a breath or a puff of hairspray (in my case).

The goal of life is not to arrive safely at death.

Billy Graham has said that the one thing that surprised him about life is its brevity. So today, as I give thanks to my Lord and reflect on the year that’s gone by … as I reflect on the fragileness and brevity of life, I am moved to remind you as well. Live life to the full. If fear has become an unwelcome guest these past two years, push it back by inviting the Holy Spirit to have His way with you.

Father God, I am so thankful for the gift of life, for the gift of eternal life and for the gift of another year to serve You. I love You so and am so very thankful for Your goodness toward me. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Written by Becky White for the Lord Jesus

Please check out Stony Paths, the devo borne out of the difficulties He’s faithfully walked me through. He’ll do the same for you, dear one.

Ministry of Thorns

“My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore, most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. - 2 Corinthians 12:9 NKJV

God did not take away Paul’s thorn; He did better—He mastered that thorn, and made it Paul’s servant. The ministry of thorns has often been a greater ministry to man than the ministry of thrones.  – Streams in the Desert 12/18

God has given me a ministry of thorns. Graciously taking all the pain of my life (self-inflicted, other-inflicted or just the ache of real life) and given me the great honor of using it all for His glory.

This truth was brought home to me recently, as I stood in front of a podium before several hundred ladies at a correctional facility. I have no great skill as an orator, no degree on the wall or social station that would open such doors. My thorns provided the invitation and thorns were what I spoke of. Oh, I called them by their real names of regret, abuse, addiction, grief, betrayal, depression, divorce and hopelessness. Wrapping it up with God’s promise found in Romans 8:28, that He is able to cause all things to work together for our good and His glory, for those who love Him and are called according to His purpose.

I have found that when I share the thorns of my life, in an authentic way, it frees others to share theirs as well. Releasing them from the formality and pretense and self-protective stance that often shrouds our lives. It’s then, when the pain is on the table, that the Great Physician can begin His work.

He may or may not remove the thorns of real life, but He is entirely faithful to use them. That’s what I desperately wanted those precious ladies to know that night. If placed in His hands, He will use our thorns for His glory. He may even grant us, a ministry with those thorns.

We have a choice. The same heat that melts wax, hardens clay. And the same thorn that pushes one to lean hard into God, may cause another to run from Him.

What will you do with your thorn?

Suffering in life can uncover untold depths of character and unknown strength for service. People who go through life unscathed by sorrow and untouched by pain tend to be shallow in their perspectives on life. Suffering, on the other hand, tends to plow up the surface of our lives to uncover the depths that provide greater strength of purpose and accomplishment. Only deeply plowed earth can yield bountiful harvests.

– Billy Graham

Father, I am in awe of Your faithfulness and ability to use my mess for Your glory. My thorns for Your kingdom. As we prepare to launch into a new year, I hand You, once again, all of me. Thorns and all. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Written by Becky White for my Lord Jesus

My God, I have never thanked Thee for my ‘thorn!’ I have thanked Thee a thousand times for my roses, but never once for my ‘thorn;’ I have been looking forward to a world where I shall get compensation for my cross as itself a present glory. Teach me the glory of my cross; teach me the value of my ‘thorn.’

George Matheson

From Eating Cookies to Counting Calories

For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.  Ephesians 2:10 NKJV

I can do nothing on my own.  John 5:30aESV

I can do all things through him who strengthens me. Philippians s 4:13 ESV

And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that having all sufficiency in all things at all times, you may abound in every good work. 2 Corinthians 9:8 ESV

You know the New Year is just around the corner when advertisements boomerang from images of whipped cream-topped hot cocoa and a mouthwatering cookie, to aisles of treadmills, ellipticals and tax prep packages. Yep, we’ve turned the corner from “The most wonderful time of the year” to a season marked by resolutions of weight loss, getting out of debt or ending a bad habit. A season that’s brimming with the determination to try harder, or take advantage of the clean slate in front of us. Yet, before we see Valentine candy on the store shelves, many of us are already filled with despair at our lack of ability or willpower to maintain the desired course correction. Or worse, peering into the future brings thoughts of hopelessness mingled with emotional bankruptcy.

I promise not to add to your list of what you must do or change or what you must do better in the coming year. No guilt trip here. What I will do is remind both of us of the foundational truth that we are all a broken, lost, hot-mess people, unable to change ourselves. Willpower, determination or positive thinking, will not (alone) do the trick, though those are definitely our allies in the process. As with the salvation of our soul, He alone is able to change us from the inside out, and enable us to become all He has planned for us.

That plan may include reevaluating our health (or lack of it), reevaluating relationships or how we spend our resources of time, talent and money. It most certainly includes an honest assessment of our relationship with Jesus Christ, the One who has provided our time, talent and treasure. What it doesn’t include is an end-of-our-rope striving to be better, do better and work harder to be “good-er” (as if…).

We can do nothing on our own, but we can do all things through Christ who gives us strength. We are His workmanship, His masterpiece. And as we see treadmills filling store aisles or popping up on our phone screens, refuse to despair. May they serve only as reminders that we are His workmanship. Rely on His wisdom, strength and ability to put His finger on areas of needed change and provide what’s needed to live out the life He has given us.

If you wait until you feel like taking action, you’ll never make progress.

Don Howe

Father, Please put Your finger on areas of my life that need changed or reevaluated. As I honestly acknowledge them, enable me to make whatever course corrections are necessary as I lean into You as my Strength to accomplish what I cannot. In Jesus’ name, Amen

Written by Becky White for the Lord Jesus

Amazon review please?

I would be so grateful if you would be willing to take a moment and leave a review on Amazon for my devotional, Stony Paths.  If you’ve not read it yet, click this link for a free pdf or to purchase a hard copy. Thank you in advance!  ~ Becky White

Stony Paths – Learning to trust Him as we walk the Stony Paths of real life.

May I take Your Order?

Order my steps in Your word; let no sin rule over me. Psalm 119:133 Berean Standard Bible

I will instruct you and teach you the way you should go; I will give you counsel and watch over you. Psalm 32:8 Berean Standard Bible

I know, LORD, that our lives are not our own. We are not able to plan our own course. Jeremiah 10:23 NLT

Always let him lead you, and he will clear the road for you to follow. Proverbs 3:6 CEV

Four jalapeño cheese burgers with mustard and pickle and a large onion chip. That’s my standard White Castle order. Mmmmm, I can almost smell the grilled onion aroma… I order my meal the way I want it, pay the cashier to receive it, and off I go. As I read today’s Scripture in Psalm 119, my go-to Castle order came to mind.  What does God’s Word have to do with a fast-food order you ask?

In a way so much greater than any drive-thru order, God orders our steps. The way He wants them. Yes, I realize the analogy breaks down quickly. God never makes a mistake in His ordering. In addition to being lousy listeners, we are often unwilling to trust His ordering options. Choosing instead to grab the menu of life choices and tell Him what we want, how we want it, when we want it. After all, we live in a “have it your way” world, don’t we?

I can’t speak for you, but in my own life, that didn’t work so well. Making life choices before asking Him for His will, His wisdom and His direction, has led to a multitude of bad menu choices. I’ll spare you the details, let’s just say, that I have learned that if He chooses the liver and onions of trials and challenges and I would prefer the Krispy Kreme donut of ease, I’m going for the liver and onions every time. I continue to learn that He knows what He’s doing in ordering my steps, all He wants from me is to submit my will to His and trust Him. He’ll make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert. Always providing just what we need, at the moment we need it. And just because He’s good, a golden glazed Krispy Kreme once in awhile.

Let’s bring this back to you and your life.  Are there areas where you’ve grabbed the menu and not allowed Him to order your steps? Choosing life options apart from His will? That’s okay, we’ve all been there. Recognize it. Tell Him about it. Ask for forgiveness. Hand the menu of life choices back to Him through prayer as you ask Him to order your steps. Then, open His Word and ask Him for wisdom. Proverbs everyday or the NT book of James is a good place to start. Then, choice by choice and moment by moment, your “taste” will change as you grow to appreciate His menu choices for you!

“Affliction is often that thing which prepares an ordinary person for some sort of an extraordinary destiny.”

C.S. Lewis

You are a good, good Father, forgive me for the times I’ve not trusted You or allowed You to be Lord of my choices. Please order my steps for Your glory and my good. Even when that means hard places, I choose to trust You. In Jesus’ name. Amen

Written by Becky White for the Lord Jesus

www.DevotionsForDifficultDays.com