Who Art in Heaven

I began this devo a couple weeks ago, not knowing that I would hear news from family/friends that would cause its truth to be kneaded deeper into my soul. – Becky

“Pray, then, in this way: ‘Our Father who art in heaven, Hallowed be Thy name. NASB 1977 Matthew 6:9

For He looks to the ends of the earth and sees everything under the heavens. Job 28:24 BSB

The LORD has established His throne in the heavens, And His sovereignty rules over all [the universe]. Psalm 103:19 AMP

Like many of you, I have much on the plate of my life. And if I’m honest, that plate can sometimes feel like an over-sized Thanksgiving helping.  Recently, when that helping of life seemed to over-flow, I cried out to the Lord.  Not really sure how or what to pray, from memory, I began speaking out-loud the familiar words … “Our Father, Who art in heaven.”

Hearing my own voice say the words, “Who art in heaven” stopped me in my praying tracks.  Immediately I felt such awe for my Father God, and who He is. The One I’m speaking to, sits enthroned above the heavens.

His vantage point is heaven. Astounding. Talk about a Google earth perspective! He sees every detail. He sees around the corner of my tomorrows and my what-if questions. He sees it all at one time. From heaven itself. There is never a scenario that catches Him off guard. I get ruffled when I’m unsure if heavy traffic will make me late for work or about what’s happening in the lives of our grown kids and grandkids.

His sovereignty rules over all. He sits as King , and the only Sovereign of the universe. Whew. Such comfort. Such relief. Knowing that the enemy of cancer or emotional pain or disappointment or despair or divorce … None of these can sneak into my life apart from His permission, plan and purposes (think Job). Though all is not good in and of itself, all will be used for my good and His glory.

As I continued talking to the Lord that morning, my circumstances didn’t miraculously change, but being reminded of His vantage point, and yes, His authority over all that touches my life, drenched me in His peace. A peace separate from circumstances and tied only to the Presence of the One Who is enthroned above the heavens.

Whatever is attempting to steal your peace or has already done so, lay it down and look up to your Father God. Speak out the words, “My Father, Who art in heaven…” And be reminded this day of His Sovereign control over your life. He will not fail you.

Father God, I acknowledge You as Lord and Ruler over my life. My circumstances haven’t knocked You off Your heavenly throne.  Please enable me to focus on who You are, not the challenges surrounding me. I put them all in Your hands and rest, knowing that You are good and You are faithful. Please do whatever will bring You the most glory. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Written by Becky White for the Lord Jesus

*The Lord’s Prayer, as it commonly known, is an answer to the question, “Lord, teach us to pray,” posed to Jesus by His disciples.

When “Giving Thanks” isn’t so Easy

Through Him, therefore, let us at all times offer up to God a sacrifice of praise, which is the fruit of lips that thankfully acknowledge and confess and glorify His name.    Hebrews 13:15 AMP

In every situation [no matter what the circumstances] be thankful and continually give thanks to God; for this is the will of God for you in Christ Jesus. 1 Thessalonians 5:18 AMP

Recently, our pastor reminded us that the season between Thanksgiving and New Years has the highest rate of depression and suicide attempts. So that means, while many of us are prepping our turkeys, gulping glasses of eggnog, eating way too many cookies or admiring a beautifully lit tree, others among us are drowning in hopelessness and despair.  All the while, watching others around them with seemingly Instagram-perfect lives. (As if that’s reality, but I digress…) Our hearts should ache for those struggling through this season.

I confess that it’s all too easy for me to give thanks when I have the blessings of a warm bed or full belly or good relationships. It takes no sacrifice to give thanks in such scenarios. But I find it does take deliberate effort to be thankful, because my default setting is to take His gifts for granted. To forget that all I have is a gift from His hand. From the breath in my lungs, to my amazing husband and our family, to the heater under our kitchen table (and strategically placed by my feet.) All of it. Gifts from Him.

I have also learned experientially the importance of giving thanks for “gifts” that, at first blush, are more like the proverbial “ugly sweater” gift. When financial challenges engulfed me, He provided and enabled me to give thanks for the few packages of Ramen noodles and can of chicken that became a casserole for five children. Or the times when relational betrayal or the pain of regret for my own bad choices laid me bare and yet He provided forgiveness and healing through my Lord Jesus. And has brought beauty from ashes.

Teaching us the invaluable lesson of giving thanks to Him in all circumstances, not just pleasant circumstances.

Then I think of those celebrating Thanksgiving Day who are behind bars or sitting at a makeshift tent-campsite or those handling funeral arrangements as they simultaneously battle the ache of grief or those coping with an all-encompassing loneliness that this season seems to amplify. When folks in such circumstances give thanks through a whispered prayer of gratitude to the Lord Jesus, it is a priceless “sacrifice of praise” that honors our God. Folks who are purposely giving thanks, even if they must search through the debris of a trial or pain, to do so.

For one moment, let’s step back from our turkey dinners and contemplate the challenges our neighbors might be walking through and consider what a sacrifice it may be for them to utter the words, “Thank you, God.”

Have you ever been there? Are you there now? Is there a person who comes to mind as you read these words? As we celebrate this special day, set aside to give thanks to God for His great blessings, in whatever form they come, let’s remember those struggling this season. Pray. Reach out. Be a blessing. Let’s be His hands and feet to all He puts in our path. There is hope. And it is found in Jesus Christ.

“As a matter of fact, God isn’t asking you to be thankful. He’s asking you to give thanks. There’s a big difference. One response involves emotions, the other your choices, your decisions about a situation, your intent, your ‘step of faith.’”

– Joni Eareckson Tada

Happy Thanksgiving!

Father, I am in awe of the gifts You’ve so freely given. Life. Salvation. Breath. Genuine hope because of Christ. Help me to remember, and not forget, Your good hand of favor on my life. In Jesus’ precious name, Amen

Written by Becky White for the Lord Jesus

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.

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.

What’s Your Paper Trail Look Like?

For we walk by faith, not by sight [living our lives in a manner consistent with our confident belief in God’s promises]— 2 Corinthians 5:7 Amplified Bible

For our light and momentary affliction is producing for us an eternal weight of glory that is far beyond comparison. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.  – 2 Corinthians 4:17-18 Berean Standard Bible

The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and a contrite heart, O God, You will not despise. Psalm 51:17

Cracking eggs on the side of a large metal bowl, the young volunteer and I made small talk as we prepared breakfast for folks in need of a hot meal. Figuring we’d need about 18 dozen to feed everyone, our conversation carried on as we cracked, whipped and then cooked eggs, sausage and biscuits. In the midst of our serving, she mentioned how tired she was, so I asked, “Oh, do you have young children at home?” Assuming little ones were stealing away her night’s sleep.

Laughing out loud, she giggled, “No! I’m only 19!”

Now it was my turn to laugh, as I shared with her that by 19, I had already been married, divorced, had given birth to four children. I had also buried a daughter. That conversation opened the flood gates to share with her, how I came to know Jesus Christ as my Lord and Saviour. Often, when I share quick snippets of my story, I tell folks, “I don’t look good on paper.” By that I mean, if only the black and white facts of my life (paper) are known, it looks like a hot, depressing, , hopeless mess. But God.

But God used the tragedies thrust upon me, as well as those I thrust upon myself, to cause me to recognize my need for Him. And He continues to use the many trials of life to drive home the point that I am to walk by faith and not by sight. To live by faith in Him and His faithfulness, not my fickle emotions. That He is good, even when life hurts. And that the worst-case scenarios can happen simultaneously with Hope in Him flourishing.  In short, trust Him, no matter what things look like. Trust Him no matter the circumstance. Rely on the Truth of His Word rather than what we see with our eyes.

As we will soon prepare to celebrate the literal incarnation of God, through the physical birth of Jesus Christ, I am reminded that things are not always as they appear. Who would have ever thought, God would arrive on the scene in such a way? “On paper,” it appeared that He was born in an animal stable to a poor, unwed couple facing a crisis pregnancy. The world would say, a no body, born to no bodies, in the middle of nowhere. Yet, here we are today, over 2,000 years later, celebrating His birth. His birth that split history in two and sacrificial death that split the veil that separated a holy God from unholy, sinful folks like you and I. Today, He sits at the right hand of the throne of God.

Do you have a paper trail that includes challenges like addiction or abuse or prison or depression or regret?  I understand. Or maybe your paper trail is peppered with college degrees, ministry work, financial wealth or a “moral” life. While some of us are more spit-shined than others, we all stand in need of The Savior.

As I shared that day over a bowl of scrambled eggs – He saved me, and while life will always have challenges, He turned my mess into ministry, and now it’s my greatest honor to serve Him with my life, in whatever way He chooses. He has given me a new paper trail. If He can do it for me, He can do the same for you.

“In perplexities—when we cannot tell what to do, when we cannot understand what is going on around us, let us be calmed and steadied and made patient by the thought that what is hidden from us is not hidden from Him”

 — Frances Ridley Havergal

Father, Thank You for sending Your One and only Son, those 2,000 years ago. My Lord Jesus. Erasing what I had on paper and giving me Your sinless record instead. Astounding. I bow in awe of Your goodness and mercy! In Jesus’ 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.

Gentle Reminder

“You were wearied by the length of your road, Yet you did not say, ‘It is no use.’ You found renewed strength, Therefore you did not grow weak.”  Isaiah 57:10 AMP

Encourage the exhausted, and strengthen the feeble.  Say to those with anxious heart, “Take courage, fear not. Behold, your God will come with vengeance; The recompense of God will come, He will save you.” 

Isaiah 35: 3-4 AMPC

All of us need a reminder now and then. When life hits us square between the eyes or when a challenge grows from weeks to months to years… We need reminded that God is in control, that He is at work, that He has a plan. The challenges, set-backs and real-world reality of life have a way of draining our strength, weakening our resolve, even obscuring our view of our Father God’s love. Like the dripping of water eroding a mountainous rock, trials that are long in duration can erode even the mightiest among us.

If HOPE has become a 4-letter word to you. If a painful circumstance has gone from a simple set-back to a way of life. If anxious thoughts fill your heart, robbing you of His peace. If the unthinkable has touched your life…

May I gently remind you? Not with syrupy, I-feel-your-pain, empty words – but with His inerrant and infallible Word. The same Word that has sustained me, and countless others, through some of life’s toughest challenges. He has promised never to leave or forsake us and to be our Mighty Fortress. He promises that though we walk through fiery trials, we will not be burned, neither will the flame kindle upon us. He is behind and before us. And that when the enemy comes in like a flood, He will lift up a standard against him and put him to flight. Though He allows for our free will, He assures us that no plan of His can be thwarted and His sovereignty rules over all.

Our trials aren’t proof that He doesn’t care or is impotent to act. In whatever form they take, our trials are opportunities to walk out the reality of our trust in Him and learn by experience that He is good, He is faithful and He is enough.

“The secret is Christ in me, not me in a different set of circumstances.”

Corrie ten Boom

My Lord Jesus, As You have strengthened me, not by the absence of trials but in the midst of them, I pray You will infuse strength into Your weary ones today. Grant the ability to arise to new life and fresh hope, and a knowing that You have it all under control…whatever the outcome…we can trust You. In the mighty name of Jesus Christ, I pray. Amen

Written by Becky White for the Lord Jesus

Are you an Actor?

Just some random thoughts ….

For out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks. Luke 6:45b ESV


Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me. Psalm 51:10

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

Reactions cannot be manufactured. Any of us can “act” a certain way, but we can only re-act based on what’s already in our heart. Any of us can “act” or play the part of a God-honoring person, but our mouth and actions will betray us when we are in a situation where we only have time to react. As Jesus put it, “Out of the abundance of our heart, the mouth speaks.”

What comes out of our mouth when someone cuts us off in traffic or when we’re treated unfairly? When there’s no time to do anything but react, out of the overflow of our heart, our mouth and actions will speak what’s already in there. These situations don’t create our words and actions, they reveal what’s already there.

(If you’re not sure, ask your husband or wife or close friend, I bet they know!) I’ve heard it said that the “real us”, is exposed when we’re at home – not at church or even at work. At home, where we “let our hair down” so to speak.

This is also true when we go through trials. Most followers of Christ can talk a good faith-game and quote Scriptures, but what happens when tragedy strikes or betrayal comes or disappointment engulfs? Do we stagger in unbelief and accuse God of neglect, or assume we must be lacking in faith?

Or, do we give thanks in all things, in spite of the pain? Through tears and clenched teeth maybe, but are we able to express our faith in a sovereign God, even as we pour out our heart and pain to Him? Again, we can choose to act, but our reaction will pour forth from what’s already in our heart.

Hey, no condemnation here – this is convicting for me to even type. The Holy Spirit convicts us and allows the content of our heart to be exposed so it can be dealt with. Not to condemn us. To restore us. To continue the work He began at our moment of conversion. After all, we are His workmanship. Let’s allow Him to work.

Straight from Psalm 139, let’s pray –

Father, search me and know me. Try and test me Lord. Take from me anything not pleasing to You and reveal anything that I have left unsubmitted to You, Your Word and Your will. I am so glad You love me in the process. Cause me to grow in my relationship with You and closer to You. In Jesus mighty name, Amen.

For a more in-depth look at the topic, check out this link from GotQuestions.org.

Peanut Butter Cups

“…to the hungry soul any bitter thing is sweet.”

Proverbs 27:7 AMP

God is the Rock and firm Strength of my heart and my Portion forever. Psalm 73:26 AMPC

Yeshua (Jesus) said to them, “I AM THE LIVING GOD, The Bread of Life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever trusts in me shall never thirst.” John 6:35 Aramaic Bible in Plain English

My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. Psalm 43:2a

I love Reese’s cups, especially the newer offering that has a peanut butter shell with peanut butter filling. Mmmmm. Dee licious. Have I mentioned how much I love all things peanut butter? Yet, as much as I appreciate a good Reese’s cup, when my stomach growls with hunger, the bright orange package shouldn’t be what I reach for. Yes, it will stop my hunger pangs, but if I repeat this too many times, I’ll have long-term negative consequences.  But wait a minute, what if my cupboards were bare and my pockets empty? What if, in my hunger, I thought that the sugary peanut butter treat was my only option to fill the ache in my belly?

As I mulled over the scripture in Proverbs 27, I couldn’t help but think of the world around us. A world that is literally “starving” for hope, peace, purpose and the removal of fear/anxiety/panic …. This emptiness has led to starvation of the soul, where, “any bitter thing is sweet.” Spiritually speaking, reaching for a Reese’s in the form of pleasure or money or sex minus God’s guidelines, or gathering as many “likes” / hits as possible or by social activism or “religious” and/or spiritual activity (the possibilities are endless). When the sun goes down and dark silence envelops us, the ache remains and the hunger endures.

On the flip side, many of us are so “full-bellied and satisfied” that we’ve failed to notice those starving right in front of us. Failed to look beyond our own homecooked-meal comfort to notice the ache of empty bellies all around us. Folks who have settled for the quick Reese’s cup or something much worse, when we know the Bread of Life Himself. While it’s true we cannot (and should not) force feed the manna of God’s Word, are we at least offering it to those around us or at least living a life (by His grace) that causes others to want what we have? Do I?

My heart aches for the “starving” folks all around us who have stuffed themselves with all the world has to offer and yet their soul-deep ache and emptiness remain. Here’s my challenge to you (and myself), each time we see a Reese’s cup, let’s use that lip-smacking orange package as a reminder to pray for those around us. Or, let it be a reminder that your ache cannot be filled with anything other than the Lord Jesus Christ. Reach out to Him, He will meet you right where you’re at. (For more information, call 1-888-NEEDHIM or text (320) 345-3455 or click https://needhim.org/chat-now/)

“There is a God–shaped vacuum in the heart of each man, which cannot be satisfied by any created thing but only by God the Creator, made known through Jesus Christ.”

– Blaise Pascal

Father, please reveal to me where I’m seeking to fill soul-deep needs with the junk food of the world. Please also give me Your eyes and heart for the starving people all around me. Please use my life to honor You, in Jesus’ Name, Amen

Written by Becky White for the Lord Jesus

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.

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.

Podcast suggestion RE: Current events

Hello friends, the “lane of my life” is to encourage God’s people to trust Him no matter the circumstance, through the good, bad and ugly. Secondarily, to view life’s circumstances through the lens of His Word and sovereign control over all things. Podcast sharing is not my habit, nor will it be in the future, but I thought it of utmost importance to share this on.

What’s happening in world events right now is surely a recipe for emotional distress, questions and pain. Lots of pain. With that as a backdrop, I wanted to suggest you prayerfully listen to and share the Addison’s podcast below.

The Addisons mention Greg Laurie’s recent message on this topic, in addition, I have included a link to his recent blog post.

In His service, Becky White.

Salty Peanuts

Salty Peanuts is more random thoughts than devo. But as always, I hope it encourages you to view your trials through a different lens. The lens of His sovereign control over all we face. – Becky

“Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” John 8:32

But as for you, you meant evil against me; but God meant it for good. Genesis 50:20a NKJV

Before I was afflicted, I went astray, but now I keep Your word. Psalm 119:67 NKJV

It was for my good that I was humbled; so that I would learn your statutes. Psalm 119:71 ISV

The Truth will set you free, but first it will make you miserable. 

– James A. Garfield.

It’s been said, “You can lead a horse to water, but you can’t make him drink.” But, Ahhhh, you can feed him lots of salty peanuts!

Sometimes, God “sets the table” (with lots of those little dishes of salty peanuts!) to help us see the truth of who and what we really are. To enable us to recognize our need for Him. What looks like unfairness from our vantage point, may actually be the Lord drawing us closer to Himself.

That table may look like a trial that has engulfed our lives, it may be loneliness or anxiety or it may be a trial enveloping someone we love. Each table has this in common – the pain is so great or the disappointment so deep that we will either turn to God with a renewed level of trust (in spite of the pain) or our heart will harden against Him (because of the pain). There will be no middle ground.

Has God set a table for you today?

Let’s never allow our pain to go to waste, but instead, leverage it for His glory. And remember, the same heat that melts wax, hardens clay.  What we do with our “salty peanuts” is up to us.

Father, I am so thankful that I can trust You with every detail, every trial, every challenge that comes my way. Use them for your glory. In Jesus’ name, Amen

Pain clarifies.  

Becky White

Written by Becky White for the Lord Jesus

“Where is this God of Yours?”

Day and night I have only tears for food, while my enemies continually taunt me, saying, “Where is this God of yours?”

Why am I discouraged? Why is my heart so sad? I will put my hope in God! … Now I am deeply discouraged, but I will remember you—

Why are you cast down, O my soul, and why are you in turmoil within me? Hope in God.

Psalm 42:3, 5a,c NLT   Psalm 42:11 ESV

Recently, while at a funeral – My eyes scanned the small, crowded room, filled with photos and flowers and chatter. And crying. The tears were mingled whispers of “Why?” and “Before his time.” We took our seats and prepared to listen with the soberness required in such settings, my heart breaking for the hurting family around me.  

Real pain. Real tragedy.

Depression and pain and sadness are all around us. Added to this layer of heart ache, the enemy often whispers in our ear, “Where is this God of yours?” Just as in Psalm 42, listed above. The trial in front of you may not be literal death, maybe it’s the death of a relationship or the death of a longed-for outcome or death of your health or the devastating death of hope itself. Sinking you to the depths of despair. The enemy hopes to push us to despair, and in the end, hopelessness. 

Though you’d hate for others to know, do you relate to the Psalmist when he says, “My tears have been my food day and night”? Is the emotional ache buried deep, rearing its head only when life gets still, so you try to stay busy or distracted? Have the enemy’s taunts of, “Where is this God of yours?” invaded your thoughts?

I’ve been there. If we’re honest, most of us have a time or two. And just like the Psalmist, I talk to myself (Hey, no laughing!); I speak the truth to myself. I ask myself questions. I encourage myself with His Word. And in the end, I remind myself to hope in God. Not in hoped-for outcomes or good health or pleasant circumstances (as if those can be relied upon!). Hope. In. God. Read aloud His word, and talk to yourself. Why not start with all of Psalm 42? It’s not that long. Take in each word. In the end, you will find He is faithful, not to always remove our difficulties, but to walk us through them.   

Where’s God? Beside me. In front of me. Behind me. Inside me. He has laid His hand upon me. I am never alone. And neither are you. (See Psalm 139 and John 14).

In the end, you will find He is faithful, not to always remove our difficulties, but to walk us through them.   

One last take-away. Look around. Ask questions. Listen to the pain stories of those around you. And take the risk of being real about your own struggles. Let’s direct each other to the only real hope there is – Jesus Christ Himself.

Father God, I ask that You would push away hopelessness and despair, replacing it with the Truth that You promised never to leave or forsake us. We are never alone. Never without hope. You are at work, no matter what our eyes see. We love You, in Jesus’ mighty name, Amen.

Written by Becky White for the Lord Jesus

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Glory to God?

Recently, I came across this years-old devotional I’d written, and couldn’t help but think of those walking through knee-deep trials right now. Pain that lays us bare and can cause even the strongest and God-honoring to cry “uncle”, this is too hard! If that’s you – I am so sorry for what you’re walking through. I promise not to diminish your pain or use Christian lingo to wipe away real-life tragedy. But I will lay God’s Word before you as a balm and possibly a new set of glasses by which to look at your pain.

Does Your Life Glorify God?

[Jesus said to His disciplines] “The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified.” John 12:23 NIV

“…for the Son of Man to be glorified…”  If I didn’t know what was about to happen to Jesus, I would be excited at the prospect of Him being glorified. But I do know what comes next. He’s going to be arrested for something He didn’t do, get slapped across the face for refusing to answer the High Priest, suffer the agony of His beard being plucked out for the amusement of cruel guards and beaten until unrecognizable as human (Isaiah 53). The Son of Man was stripped naked and nailed to a wooden cross.  And just when you think the cruelty and humiliation can’t get any worse, bystanders taunt Him one last time. “If you’re really the Son of God, come down off that cross!” and then they spit at Him, jeering, as He hung naked and pain-racked.

Being aware of all that was to come, the one word that would not come to my mind is glorified. Abandoned, rejected, abused, maybe… but not glorified. Of course, Jesus did know all that would befall Him as He spoke those words. That’s what makes His statement so out of place to me.

Jesus’ mockery of a trial, ruthless beatings, and death (and then His bodily resurrection) were used as tools to bring glory to God. Jesus willingness to be our Scapegoat (Leviticus 16)  brought glory and honor to Himself like nothing else could. The Son of Man was glorified!

If you find yourself knee-deep in difficulties, the Lord doesn’t require your understanding, but He does want your trust. He is more than able to bring glory to His name through your life’s circumstances. Even circumstances, that surface-level, seem disfigured and ugly.

“…we will stand amazed to see the topside of the tapestry and how God beautifully embroidered each circumstance into a pattern for our good and His glory.”

― Joni Eareckson Tada

“Father, I don’t understand why I’m in this trial. And I don’t like it. But — I am willing to obey You no matter what. Grant me the ability to walk through this valley and to do so without bitterness. You don’t require my understanding, only my trust. Glorify Yourself through my life.” In Jesus, name, Amen.

Written by Becky White for the Lord Jesus

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.

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.