Dealt Cards

I trusted in, relied on, and was confident in You, O Lord, I said You are my God, my times are in Your hands.

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of sympathy and the God of all comfort,  Who comforts (consoles and encourages) us in every trouble (calamity and affliction), so that we may also be able to comfort (console and encourage) those who are in any kind of trouble or distress, with the comfort (consolation and encouragement) with which we ourselves are comforted (consoled and encouraged) by God.

Psalm 31:14b-15a & 2 Corinthians 1:3-4 AMPC

 “That’s just the hand I was dealt” says the person that endured a crummy childhood or was born into poverty or family disfunction. Or when life throws a few curve balls such as a spouse walking out or a child rebelling or coping with the pain of infertility or dealing with a prolonged illness. That’s when we would love the chance to say, “Re-deal”, I have a crappy hand!”

Recently, over lunch with a friend, we talked about some of our own “dealt cards” such as childhood trauma, relationship betrayal, death of children, life-threatening illnesses, financial difficulties and some cards that are too sensitive to bring out into the light. On the drive home, after our lunch discussion of dealt cards, I mentally opened my hand, fanning out my life’s cards. I was stunned at the Lord’s perfect wisdom and providence in His dealings (no pun intended) with me. Though I would have passed on several of the cards or traded if I had been given a choice, I clearly see that each has its purpose. Through “the hand I was dealt”, The Lord has provided me a platform authenticated by suffering – to minister to others in a way that would have been impossible without those cards of difficulty.

You see, I can pull out my card of betrayal and share authentically with someone going through divorce or desertion. I can pull out my card of grief at having buried two children as I listen (and hug) the one burying a spouse or child. I can pull from the deck my card of illness after walking through a near-death sudden illness, as I listen to their fears or “what ifs.” The Lord has graciously given me the opportunity to say with authenticity, “I’ve been there, I know what that feels like… and He has faithfully walked me through it… come, let me show you.”

If we are to be good comforters, we must first need comforted.

Anonymous

Alright dear one, what cards have you been dealt? Fan out your hand, look clearly at the cards you’re holding and ask yourself…How can I leverage this “card” for His glory and another’s good?

Precious Lord, God of all comfort – thank You for showing Yourself strong on my behalf as You simultaneously comfort me and enable me to comfort others with the comfort I’ve received from You. I stand amazed at Your faithfulness and goodness toward me! In Jesus’ name, Amen

Written by Becky White for the Lord Jesus

Brevity of Life

Please forgive the rerun… this devo was written 4 years ago and is just as hit-me-between-the-eyes as it was that February afternoon. I pray that as it reminds me, it reminds you as well. Life is short. We all have a shelf-life known only to our Maker.

His great blessing on you this day!

Becky White

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

Three years ago today, 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 and anxiety have become an unwelcome guest these past few 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.

Hiding Behind the Baggage

Jesus said to him (a blind man), “What do you want me to do for you?” Mark 10:51a ESV

One man there (at the pool of Bethesda) had been an invalid for thirty-eight years.  When Jesus saw him lying there and realized that he had spent a long time in this condition, He asked him, “Do you want to get well?” “Sir,” the invalid replied, “I have no one to help me into the pool when the water is stirred. While I am on my way, someone else goes in before me.” John 5:5-7 ESV

So they asked the LORD, “Where is he?” And the LORD replied, “He is hiding among the baggage.” 1 Samuel 10:22 NLT

Have you ever been so comfortable that you just didn’t want to move? Though the ankle-deep lawn or the pile of unwashed laundry was calling your name, you just couldn’t bring yourself to budge. Too comfortable.  On the flip side, sometimes our desire not to budge, isn’t created by something good like a comfy chair, but from something known, even if painful or bad. “I may not like this, it may be hurtful, but at least I know what to expect. “It’s what I know,” is the mantra of comfort-zone thinking.

I have been there. Wasting decades hiding behind the baggage of my past, with its built-in excuses – past hurts, past mistakes, past trials. It wasn’t good, but it’s what I knew. It felt “comfortable.”  Maybe you’ve been there too.

In today’s passages we read of folks, just like you and me, hiding behind the baggage of their lives in the prison cell of comfort-zone thinking and living. To pull the cover off their hiding place, the Lord probes with some seemingly strange questions. Asking a man born blind, “What do you want Me to do for you?” or a man who has been paralyzed for 38 long years, “Do you want to be made well?” It’s here where I am tempted to think the Lord isn’t being very perceptive, but of course, that is never the case. He knows that a life-time of learning to live and think a certain way, of relating to the world around them as “less-than,” would need to be tackled. Jesus knew that even when it’s a bad situation, familiarity can be strangely “comfortable.” When confronted with the seemingly silly question, rather than jump at the chance for healing, the paralytic offered explanations as to why he couldn’t be healed. Perhaps he just couldn’t live with another disappointment or perhaps he had taken healing off his list of life’s possibilities. Whatever the reason, Jesus put His divine finger on the heart of the issue.

Pain and trials are almost constant companions, but never enemies. They drive me into His sovereign arms.

Kay Arthur

Would you stop a moment and think honestly and deeply? Are there areas of your life that need healing or that you know are baggage you’ve learned to hide behind?  While I have no idea what baggage life may have handed you, what you willingly picked up along the way, or what “lessons” you may need to unlearn, He does. And He asks the same question, “Do you want to be healed?” If you’re like me, you’ll have to resist the urge to “explain” rather than simply answer Him. “Yes, Lord! I’m ready, heal me.”

Let’s pray,

Oh Father, Yes, I want healed! Please enable me to live baggage free, no hiding, no excuses. Healed and whole by Your grace and by the power of Your Holy Spirit. In Jesus’ matchless name, Amen.

Written by Becky White for the Lord Jesus.

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

You may also purchase Stony Paths, learning to Trust Him as we walk the Stony Paths of real life, by visiting Lulu Publishing or Amazon.

I’m Fine, Really, I’m Fine

When I am afraid, I will trust in You.    Psalm 56:3 Legacy Standard Bible

The LORD sat as King at the flood; Yes, the LORD sits as King forever.    Psalm 29:10 NASB 1995

Whatever the reason, pain confronts us all in one form or another. Like a gut punch that leaves us gasping for air, there are some life trials that nearly take our breath away.  Some from the instant shock and awe of searing pain, others steal our breath away from their sheer duration and scope.

Recently, while walking through a trial (Not sitting still, but walking through, an important point for another devo) I noticed that though my trust in the Lord hadn’t waivered, the ache in my heart remained. After talking to the Lord about the emotional heaviness and ache, I turned to my go-to place in His Word – The book of Psalms. There I read Psalm after Psalm of King David describing the ache of the human heart. Words that echoed the pain of my own heart. But this time I noticed (or re-noticed?) that he spoke of fear and emotional pain mingled with the fact that he trusted in God. I had accidently assumed that if I “really” trusted God with my heartache or trial, that my feelings would follow. Silly me.

In a world that is more comfortable with plastic smiles and “I’m fine” salutations, this fact is so freeing. Especially to those walking through a season of pain. It’s okay to “feel” the pain of real- life trials and share the honest, “I’m not fine” answer to the question of, “How are you today?”  Maybe you’ve felt the pressure to suck it up and put on a plastic smile, rather than admit that right now life is painful or maybe a season of trial has caught you off guard. I pray God’s Word frees you as it freed me.

And if we’re the one asking the question of how are you… Let’s give room for honest answers coupled with a listening ear.

When I am afraid, I will trust in Him.

One last point, He sits as King over the flood of our life’s circumstances. Not me. Not you. God Himself sits as King over whatever has flooded into our lives. Even as we ache and acknowledge the pain, we will trust that He’s got this. Whatever the outcome.

The Psalms wrap nouns and verbs around our pain better than any other book. ― Joni Eareckson Tada

Father God, I am so grateful for Your grace to walk through our life’s trials. As the ache of our hearts reacts to the raw reality of pain, enable Your people to rest in Your sovereign care. We love You. In Jesus’ name Amen

Written by Becky White for the Lord Jesus

A Testimony of “Through”

Following You is no guarantee of a problem-free life.  Yes, I realize that’s an obvious point. But a point that I need reminded of, now and then. What you have promised is that You’ll stand beside me, that you’ll never leave me … never forsake me. And use all I walk through for Your glory.

This morning, as I was working out at the gym and listening to a Spotify playlist, some of the challenges that may soon cross my path flooded my mind. Immediately an old song I’d never heard before started to play… The words, you will stand by me… penetrated my heart as it described the inevitable challenges of life. Through all the seasons of life. Rightly concluding, we can rest in Him and His Presence with us. We are never alone.

Thank You, Father for standing with us and never leaving us to face life alone.

Now, let’s read this rerun devo “A Testimony of through.”

*(Stand by Me)

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God. For as we share abundantly in Christ’s sufferings, so through Christ we share abundantly in comfort too. 2 Corinthians 1:3-5  ESV

It is so encouraging to hear testimonies of God’s miraculous intervention into someone’s life circumstance. In fact, to encourage others, I have a few of my own that I regularly share. Maybe you do too. But there’s another kind of testimony that doesn’t get the credit it deserves, those of God’s miraculous power to walk us through our trials. Let’s face it, aren’t those the kind of testimonies that most of us can relate to, and need to hear?

But this kind of story doesn’t come easy, it can only be gained by walking through the fire. Not around or over, but through. While there are many reasons God may allow His people to suffer, one of them includes enabling us to be living examples to other hurting folks. A picture of what it looks like when God chooses not to remove our difficulties, but of His power to sustain and even strengthen us in the midst of them.

There are hurting people all around us, with no hope of a miracle around the corner of their circumstances. The cancer is terminal. The divorce papers have been signed. The nursery remains empty. The pink slip has arrived. It’s then, that folks need to see authentic hope displayed in how we suffer. As we cry the same hot tears, enduring the same heartaches and pain, but with an assurance that no matter what things look like, He is good, He can be trusted and He is faithful. Yes, we grapple with questions and cry out in our pain, but in the end, we rest our head on the pillow of His sovereignty and goodness. Reminding ourselves that if He loved us so much that He did not spare His own Son, but freely gave Him up for us all, surely, we can trust Him with “this.”

Be assured, that whatever test you’re walking through today, He can, and will, use it as a testimony to a watching world. Whether that testimony is of His miraculous intervention or of His sustaining power – be assured that He will use every second of it, and every detail of it, for your good and His glory. Author, Kay Arthur puts it best, “He lets you hurt as others hurt, knowing that the way in which you handle it will be a testimony, and your response will show others that there’s something awesomely different about you.” And that difference, is our relationship with Jesus Christ. In all we face, He is the difference maker.

The strength of the vessel can be demonstrated only by the hurricane, and the power of the Gospel can be fully shown only when the Christian is subjected to some fiery trial. If God would make manifest the fact that “He giveth songs in the night,” He must first make it night.

—William Taylor

Father, Please use all we walk through, and all that touches our lives, for Your glory and as a display of Your faithfulness to those around us. Infuse us with Your strength and grant us Your perspective. In Jesus’ mighty name, Amen.

Written by Becky White for the Lord Jesus and His glory

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

You may also purchase Stony Paths, learning to Trust Him as we walk the Stony Paths of real life, by visiting Lulu Publishing or Amazon.

When, not if …

When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; And through the rivers, they shall not overflow you. When you walk through the fire, you shall not be burned, Nor shall the flame scorch you.

Isaiah 43:2 NKJV

But when he saw that the wind was boisterous, he was afraid; and beginning to sink he cried out, saying, “Lord, save me!” And immediately Jesus stretched out His hand and caught him, and said to him, “O you of little faith, why did you doubt?” Matthew 14:30-31 NKJV

You’ll never find God or His Word sugar-coating reality; telling us plainly … “When the waters rise and when the flames come …” When, not if. And if you’ve been alive longer than 20 minutes, you know the truth of that “promise.” Adversity. Flood waters. Flames. Trials are woven into the fabric of real life. No one is exempt. Yet, He doesn’t leave us there …

Layered in that raw reality is also the promise that, when the trials come, He will be with us. Though He is the omnipresent God, there is a unique coming-alongside that we experience when trials attempt to overwhelm us, when they graze our lives. As Nazi concentration camp survivor, Corrie Ten Boom put it, “He doesn’t give us the train ticket until we board the train.”

When trials touch our lives, He is uniquely there in a way that sunny days and overflowing bank accounts do not require.

Even when the trial is of our own making. Take a closer look at Peter in the above verse. He took his eyes off of Jesus and instead, zeroed in on the literal wind and waves, and began to sink like a rock. The Word says that, “Immediately, Jesus stretched out His hand and caught him.” No hesitation. No withholding. Immediately. Yes, a lecture followed, but His Presence was not withheld, when Peter so desperately needed it.

I can testify from my own life, that while He has allowed (and I have sometimes caused) great challenges in my life, He has also never failed to lavish me with His Presence in them. A Presence I uniquely felt during the deepest, darkest trials. And He will do the same for you dear one, when you walk through your day of trial … He is with you.

When trials touch our lives, He is uniquely there in a way that sunny days and overflowing bank accounts do not require.

Becky White

Father, we are so thankful for Your presence when life hits us square between the eyes. When life just plain hurts, You are with us. Please enable us to rest in that simple truth. We are not alone. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Written by Becky White for the Lord Jesus

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Poke the Pain

“Come, let us return to the LORD; for he has torn us, that he may heal us; he has struck us down, and he will bind us up.”  Hosea 6:1 ESV

For He wounds, but He also binds; He strikes, but His hands also heal. Job 5:18 BSB

For you know that when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow. James 1:3 NLT

As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good in order to bring about this present result. The saving of many lives.  Genesis 50:20 NASB

Seated at a rectangular plastic table adorned with a sugar jar and plenty of creamer, I begin probing.  “So …  tell me, what’s your story?” This purposefully penetrating and open-ended question is one I usually ask in the course of urban ministry. Many of the folks seated across from me, have no home, no bed, no anything.  And often, feel without hope. As other volunteers serve breakfast with all the “fixins”, along with a bottomless cup of hot coffee, I listen intently. My goal is to gently poke until I find the pain. Some share decades-old hurt or regret. Others, eye me suspiciously for possible motives, as they lift their fork for another bite of a dripping-with-syrup waffle. It’s then that I begin sharing a few of my own pain stories as well. I have come to understand that no matter the socioeconomic background, regardless of ethnicity or educational level, pain is our commonality. Some more than others, that’s true, but always, something.

Why do I ask this? Because I know that pain can either be used as a weapon in the hands of the enemy, or a tool in the hands of our Almighty, and sovereign God. As the Old Testament account of Joseph puts it, “You meant evil against me, but God meant it for good.” The words didn’t ignore his years-long pain of unjust imprisonment or suffering, but it did put it in perspective. Yea, You meant to jack-up my life.  But hold on. God meant for that pain to bring about something good in my life. And very often, the enemy has used their pain to convince them of God’s “neglect” or even lack of existence.

Pain can either be used as a weapon in the hands of the enemy, or a tool in the sovereign hands of Almighty God.

Becky White

How about you? What’s your story? Is your pain point one of deep regret or childhood trauma? Is it dashed expectations that linger in your heart or widowhood or illness or a prison cell? Is your pain caused by watching the ache of someone you love? Pain is always a pivot point. Do we allow it to drive us to our knees and to greater dependence on the Lord, or allow the hurt to push us away? Away, in anger or depression or bitter unforgiveness?

As I share with the folks at The Bridge Ministry or The Columbus Dream Center, I freely admit that I don’t have answers to all the questions of “why.” But this I know, If God willingly gave the life of His Son for us, surely we can trust Him with what we do not understand. Trust Him with our pain.

The question we all must answer is, will we let our pain draw us to Him or repel us from Him?

In whose hands is your pain?

Father God, Yes, there are times when my heart is pained and raw from the realities of life. But I choose to trust You with all that comes my way. For my good and Your glory. In Jesus’ precious name, amen.

Written by Becky White for the Lord Jesus  

Got Faith?

The righteous shall live by his faith. Habakkuk 2:4b

For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith; as it is written, “BUT THE RIGHTEOUS man SHALL LIVE BY FAITH.” Romans 1:17 NASB

For we walk by faith, not by sight. 2 Corinthians 5:7 ESV

“But my righteous one will live by faith. And I take no pleasure in the one who shrinks back.” Hebrews 10:38 NIV

“The righteous shall live by faith.” Galatians 3:11 ESV

There we were, standing quietly and waiting at the front of the church, near the front row of seats. Our small circle was there to pray for others from the congregation, but no one stepped out that day, so we were left to ourselves. After several minutes, someone innocently asked if any of us had a prayer request. Immediately, and almost involuntarily, words spilled out of my mouth about a years-long trial that sometimes brings me to my literal knees in emotional heartache. Though giving only a few details, just speaking the words out loud was enough to create a lump in my throat and my eyes to well with tears, threatening to keep me from speaking. (As a side note, why are we so reluctant to admit our real-life needs or pain or hot-mess situations to our brothers and sister in Christ?)

From the expression on the faces of those in our tight circle, I could see this was not what they were expecting to hear. This was no “easy” request for healing of a bad back or enough money for the month. (Though I have definitely had my share of those!). No. This was a request that would require not only a miracle, but the ability to patiently endure as I trusted in God’s character and faithfulness. Leaving the outcome in His hands.

After the collective (quiet) gasps, each lifted my request before the Father, and then to my surprise, a fellow-prayer was suddenly willing to share her own agonizing and miracle-requiring request. That’s when I knew why the Lord has allowed me to be so vulnerable about my own heartache.

Having no intention of sharing my own painful need, I now understood why the almost involuntary spillage of my deeply personal and agonizing request came tumbling out. We each continued on praying for one another, lifting impossibilities to our sovereign God who alone performs miracles. Who alone holds the future in His hands. Come what may, we will, by His grace walk, by faith and trust Him. Not for a particular outcome, but to simply trust Him, whatever the outcome. He is good and He is faithful.

We walked away that morning with a greater depth of compassion for each other, and the comradery of walking by faith in our faithful God, in the rubber-meets-the-road realities of life.

“God is too good to be unkind and He is too wise to be mistaken. And when we cannot trace His hand, we must trust His heart.” – C.H. Spurgeon

What about you? Is there a trial or circumstance that causes you to lose faith? To grow weary? To walk by sight? This is your reminder that He has not forgotten you. “He who formed the ear, does He not hear?” Call out to Him (and possibly share with a trusted friend). Have faith in our faithful God.

Father God, I know You are good and You are faithful, but sometimes the challenges we walk through threaten to eclipse that truth. Pain can so easily blind us. Please help us to trust that You are at work, even when we cannot see Your hand. We love You and praise You, In Jesus’ mighty name, Amen.

Written by Becky White for the Lord Jesus

faith; πίστεως (pisteōs)

Noun – Genitive Feminine Singular

Strong’s 4102: Faith, belief, trust, confidence; fidelity, faithfulness.

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Audio Only – Montage of thoughts on suffering

An audio only, short montage of thoughts on the topic of suffering.

Though it’s totally unscripted and not at all polished, I pray you hear real life thoughts on God’s Word and how to authentically apply it to our lives.

In His service, Becky White

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Don’t Forget to Remember

They did not remember the multitude of Your mercies, But rebelled by the sea—the Red Sea…

They soon forgot His works; They did not wait for His counsel, But lusted exceedingly in the wilderness,

And tested God in the desert.

Psalm 106: 7b and 13-14 NKJV

Though I’ve only seen the Red Sea in pictures and I’ve never been to an actual desert, I have been confronted with impassable seas of real-life trials and desert seasons with no end in sight. And if I’m honest, just like the Israelites, I often rebelled and complained all along the way. And maybe worst of all, I forgot the God who delivered me from previous Red Sea impossibilities and carried me through parched desert seasons. Maybe you have too.

I have faced the Red Sea of total financial collapse, of divorce, of burying two of my precious children, the gut-punch pain of betrayal and childhood trauma. I’m sure most reading these words have faced similar Red Sea scenarios. I’ve also walked through desert seasons of loneliness, depression, of feeling forgotten and the ache of regret. Though there’s nothing we can do (in most cases) to stop such challenges from showing up at our front door, we do have a choice about how we respond when they show up.

In our humanness, our first reaction may be to fall to the floor from the gut-punch pain. But once we’ve absorbed the shock, we have a choice to make. I have a choice to make. It’s then that He calls us to remember that He is the same God today as He was before the life-altering phone call. Before the devastating news or sting of painful memories. We dare not allow our circumstances to speak louder than our God, and His Word.  And, if you’ve lived long enough, recall to mind your very own personal experiences of His strength, grace and faithfulness. He has promised never to leave or forsake us. Our particular trial is not the one exception.

“We can stand affliction better than we can prosperity, for in prosperity we forget God.” – Dwight L. Moody

Let’s pray

Father God, help me remember Who You are, what You have done and that I am never alone. You will faithfully walk Your children through every season of life. In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.

Written by Becky White for the Lord Jesus

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