He Notices You

As He (Jesus) passed along He noticed a man blind from his birth. John 9:1 AMPC

Jesus noticed a man. A lonely beggar described as “blind from his birth,” is noticed by the Creator as He walked along the dusty roads of His world. I’m immediately struck by two points in this short verse of Scripture. First, that Jesus noticed the man in the first place. Didn’t He have important people to see and places to go? Didn’t the Savior have a Jerusalem daily planner to follow, demons to cast out or seas to calm?

I confess that I often race through the day without even looking up long enough to see the faces of those He’s placed in my path. Regular folks walking out their own of blind-from-birth trials who just need to be “noticed.” So busy with my life and schedule that I neglect His schedule and His purposes for me.

Secondly, though this man is challenged by his blindness-from-birth condition and though he’s obviously close enough for Jesus to see him, the man remains silent as the Healer walks past him. Cue the chirping crickets. We read nothing of him calling out to Jesus for help. If I were in his shoes, I imagine I would be yelling, pleading, begging for Jesus’ attention, for even the possibility of healing. Yet he remains silent until Jesus Himself presses the issue.

God does not love the rest of the world more than He loves you.
– Arterburg

Does the blind man’s silence speak loudly of one who couldn’t bear the possibility of another disappointment? Another emotional roller coaster of dashed-hopes? Or maybe he had grown so accustom and even comfortable in his pain that he no longer pursued healing? Had pain become so normal that he settled into it like an old chair? If so, the Lord Jesus put His finger on the “comfort zone” of this man’s painful normalcy and offered him deliverance. Our Lord takes the time to notice us. To even seek us out when we don’t have the good sense to cry out. He comes to us in all our brokenness, pursuing us, loving us and then finally putting His finger on our own blind-from-birth condition as He initiates the longing for authentic healing and wholeness.

You have taken account of my wanderings; put my tears in a bottle. Psalm 56:8 NASB

My Lord and my God, How thankful I am that You notice me, You see me and You care enough to stop. I can hardly type the words without astonishment flooding me. You even provide the desire for healing when I don’t have the good sense to ask. Wiping away the fear of disappointment, I rest in Your faithfulness and lean into Your Sovereign arms. How I love and praise You Father! In Jesus Name. Amen.

Written by Becky White for Jesus

Leverage your Pain

I will proclaim Your faithfulness to all generations. Psalm 89:1b

…So that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light. 1 Peter 2:9b AMPC

As for you, what you intended against me for evil, God intended for good, in order to accomplish a day like this—to preserve the lives of many people. Genesis 50:20 Berean Standard Bible

Recently, a *friend and I were discussing life, with all its ups and downs, when mid-sentence, she stopped talking and put both hands to her mouth. Then gingerly reaching out with one hand, she gently touched my very obvious, now 3-year-old scar, from emergency open-heart surgery. Though having academically known about the event that nearly took my life, it became incredibly real to her at this moment. She hugged me and we talked of God’s faithfulness, even through trials. We continued on discussing some of those trials in more detail. I ended by sharing something I often say to the folks we have the privilege of serving through various urban ministries; let God leverage your pain for His glory.

We all have pain, don’t we? Pain from what’s been done to us, pain from the regret of what we’ve done, or a combination of the two. We experience pain by the sheer reality of living in this fallen world. Death, despair, loneliness, loss, illness, betrayal… I could go on. And when pain comes (not if, but when), we have a choice to make. Will we let it go to waste by indulging in self-pity or bitterness or destructive thought patterns of why me? As followers of Christ, the choice is clear, we turn to God for help and then ask ourselves, how do we leverage this pain for His glory?

We leverage pain by allowing God to use it. All of it. Waste nothing. Tell others what He’s walked you through. Remind them that because of Him, they are not alone. Be real about your sleepless nights or your tears or the heartache or your questions of why or dashed expectations and hurt. Take the weapon of pain out of the enemy’s hand and let God use it for His glory.

“He uses our problems for His miracles. This was my first lesson in learning to trust Him completely…”
– Corrie Ten Boom

Will our pain be a weapon in the hands of our enemy, or a tool in the hands of our God? It’s our choice.

So, what’s your story? Where has pain had the last word? What has nearly drowned you in self-pity or depression or bitterness? Will you be willing, to be willing, to hand Him your pain and leverage it? Pray with me – Father God, I hand you my pain and heartache. All that I’ve walked through. All my pain and all my regrets. Would You use it? Leverage it? For Your glory? I am humbled that You are willing to use me and my life to impact others for Jesus. In His name I pray. Amen.

Written by Becky White for the Lord Jesus

*Thank you Mary Jane! You, sister, are a great blessing!

My Story for His glory

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

National Day of Prayer

A Prayer for America by Franklin Graham

FGraham

Franklin Graham

Lord,

We are thankful for the abundant blessings You have bestowed on America. Our forefathers looked to You as Protector, Provider, and the Promise of hope. But we have wandered far from that firm foundation. May we repent for turning our backs on Your faithfulness.

We pray that this great nation will be restored by Your forgiveness.

From bondage, You grant freedom.

Through Your own sacrifice, You offer salvation.

From the state of despair, You offer peace.

From the bounties of Heaven, You have blessed – not because of our goodness – but by Your grace.

You have given us freedom to worship You in spirit and in truth as Your holy Word instructs. May our lives honor You in word and deed. May our nation acknowledge that all good things come from the Father above.

President Abraham Lincoln proclaimed that our nation should set apart a day for national prayer to confess our sins and transgressions in sorrow, “yet with assured hope that genuine repentance will lead to mercy and pardon… announced in the Holy Scriptures and proven by all history, that those nations only are blessed whose God is the Lord.”

“We have vainly imagined in the deceitfulness of our own hearts, that all these blessings were produced by some superior wisdom and virtue of our own… we have become too self-sufficient to feel the necessity of redeeming and preserving grace, too proud to pray to the God who made us! It behooves us then… to confess our national sins and to pray for clemency and forgiveness.”

Help us to pray earnestly for our president and leaders who govern, that they will humble themselves and seek Your guidance so that everything we do will shine the light of Your glory in a darkened world.

May our prayers as a people and a nation be heard and blessed for such a time as this. We make this plea in faith, believing in the mighty name of Jesus our Lord.

Amen

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.

Prodigals (and those who love them)

Then Jesus said, “There was a man who had two sons. The younger son said to him, ‘Father, give me my share of the estate.’ So he divided his property between them. After a few days, the younger son got everything together and journeyed to a distant country, where he squandered his wealth in wild living. Luke 15:11-13 NLT

Miracles are God’s department. – Ruth Bell Graham

If you have no prodigals of your own, you may be tempted to skip over this devo … please let me encourage you to read on … because I bet you know someone who does.

The sterile, nuts and bolts dictionary definition of prodigal is, “to use money, resources (including relationships) and even time itself, recklessly.” This may describe our children (teen or adult), spouses, parents, siblings, grandchildren or even ourselves.

To live recklessly.

Having a couple prodigals of my own (and having been one!), I felt drawn to read and reread the entire chapter of Luke 15, pulling wisdom, comfort and encouragement from my Father God through His Word. Glancing at the page in front of me, I noticed (for the 1^st time) that chapter 15 of Luke contains these headings:

The parable of the Lost Sheep.

The parable of the Lost Coin.

The parable of the Lost Son.

Lost Son … the emotion of that sentence caught in my throat. There’s no dictionary that can adequately capture the meaning of that phrase.

Lost Son … though just typed letters on a page, if you have a *lost son (or daughter), those words are pregnant with emotion. If you are a lost son, I hope the words provide a reminder that you belong to a family. And they feel your absence deeply.

The Son of God shares this parable as an illustration for us to see, and even feel, how valuable we are to our Father God and how He responds to the lost. I believe He also shares this story for all “lost sons” (and daughters) and for all the aching moms and/or dads longing for their return. He so lovingly provides a blueprint for walking out the unique heartache that, often, He alone understands. After all, all His children were at one time, lost.

Though there is much to draw from this chapter, I want to use it for a singular purpose. To offer authentic encouragement. Our Father God sees our prodigal and is at work in their life in ways and means that we do not see. While we are not promised a particular outcome, we can trust that He is moving in their lives because we asked Him to.

While lines of communication should remain open, we must let them go … into His care. And trust. He’ll let us know if there’s something we are supposed to do.

One last point, as you pray and ache for your lost one, be the answer to another’s prayer. Seek out ways to serve, provide hope and actively pray for other hurting folks and their prodigals. That addict on the street or that looking-put-together but really a hot-mess adult child of someone else – they need your touch. Your service. Your interaction. Don’t be so distracted by your own challenges, that you are blind to those He places in your path.

If you are a lost one, forget what’s happened in your past. Cry out to God and then make that phone call or send that text. If those doors are closed, reach out to a praying friend. But know this, the Lord God will welcome you back … in a heartbeat. He loves you so.

Until they draw their last breath, we must not stop praying. Calling to mind that nothing is too difficult for Him.

“Endurance is not just the ability to bear a hard thing, but to turn it into glory.”
William Barclay

Father, we lay our prodigals in Your hands… and trust that You will work in their lives in ways and means that we cannot. You are God. You are good. You are able. And You are faithful. In the meantime, use us in the lives of others, enable us to be Your answer to another’s prayer. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Written by Becky White for the Lord Jesus

Suggested resources/thoughts:

Pray Psalm 139, as you personalize it with your “lost ones” name. So powerful.

The Prodigal Prayer Guide: “Nothing is more devastating than watching a loved one walk away from the Lord. Yet in the middle of this grief, God offers a beautiful invitation to trust Him and to draw nearer to Him than ever before.”

Prodigals and Those Who Love Them: Words of Encouragement for Those Who Wait by Ruth Bell Graham

For Prayer: 1-888-NEED-HIM

https://www.NeedHim.org

https://tsc.nyc/prayer/ (If you use the Times Square Church app, you can text prayer requests as well).

*Some reading this have lost a son (or daughter) to death. I am so sorry for your pain and loss … I, myself have two children in heaven. There are no words adequate to express your pain. Only the God of all comfort is able to enter in to such unimaginable grief and then enable us to put one foot in front of the other as we continue (really) living … all for his glory. Let’s not waste our pain.

Promise Boxes

So then, those who suffer according to God’s will should entrust their souls to their faithful Creator and continue to do good. 1 Peter 4:19 NKJV

Indeed, all who want to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted. 2 Timothy 3:12 NRSV

Whenever I am afraid, I will trust in You. Psalm 56:3

Remember those old fashioned “promise boxes?” Sometimes shaped like miniature loaves of bread, and containing strips of paper with Bible verses. The carefully chosen scriptures were most often what I call, “cotton-candy” verses. Verses or sometimes, half-verses that carried a “positive” message intended to encourage the reader, but in the process, sometimes inadvertently gave a false expectation of real-world challenges.

Gracing my kitchen window, (and not nearly as fancy) I have my own homemade version made out of a spiral index card booklet. Flipping through the dishwater-stained cards, I am reminded that God will never leave me, or I recall that He actually hears when I pray to Him. I also have other “promises” that probably won’t make its way into the commercialized version.

Consider it pure joy, my brothers, when you encounter trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. James 1:2-3 BSB

In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in various trials. 1 Peter 1:6

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

See what I mean?

Am I the only one who needs to be assured that suffering and trials are often part of our calling as Believers in Christ? I need reminded, straight from God’s Word, that trials happen. I shouldn’t be shocked. I should be prepared. I should also consider it an honor to serve Him through the difficulties that come my way. What I should not do, is expect that the whole of our Christian experience be boiled down to a promise box “life is rosy, if you just follow Jesus” Scripture reference pulled out of context. Even as I reread my words, I realize I may sound a bit harsh, but that’s only true for those who have never walked the stony path of suffering and heartache. God’s Word (the Bible, from cover to cover) doesn’t sugar-coat our challenges, while also providing authentic hope in the midst of them.

Am I the only one who needs to be assured that suffering and trials are often part of our calling as Believers in Christ?
Becky White

Allow me to challenge you. Search the Scriptures, talk to the Lord and then create your own windowsill promise box. As you face the inevitable challenges of real-life, it will be a comfortable, and strength-building place for your eyes and soul to land.

Father, I am in awe of Your Word and its ability to breathe life, encouragement and strength into me as I face the difficulties of real life. Enable me to rest on the Truth of Your Word. Thank You! 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.

All Who Are Weary…

“Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest…”

Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.

But as for me, the nearness of God is my good; I have made the Lord GOD my refuge.

Matthew 11:28 NASB 1977 Matthew 11:29 NKJV Psalm 73:28

Come. Don’t sit down in your pain. Don’t try to walk through it alone. Hear His call …. Come.

To Me. First. Before the counselor or friend. Before searching the latest blog post or listening to an online influencer. Not leaning on a “force” or thinking good thoughts, No. Hear His call …. Come to Me.

All. Not just the so-called religious or “good” folk (as if that were a thing). Not just pastors or whoever else you think “deserves” His help. All mankind is invited. Hear His call … All.

Who are weary. Has the sheer length of your trial or dashed hopes (yet again) caused you to grow weary? Has the no-miracle-in-sight reality in front of you brought weariness to your soul? Then you qualify. All who are weary…

And heavy-laden. Has bitter disappointment or pain or loss or emotional ache become a heavy burden you carry with you? Causing you to bend low with the weight of it all? Though you probably wouldn’t have raised your hand as a volunteer, once again, you qualify. Hear His call to Come, all you who are weary and heavy-laden…

And I will give you rest. He provides the rest. In spite of our circumstances. Not by necessarily removing our difficulties, but by walking us through them. No magic wands, just His strength infused within us by His Spirit. He offers a soul-deep rest that calms our spirit with His peace …. I will give you rest.

I have found by experience that though the pain was great and the ache unrelenting, as I turned to Him, His peace sustained me. And continues to. I assure you, that I would not have volunteered for the trials that have touched my life, ( I’m sure you wouldn’t have either) but as I have walked through them, I have found Him entirely faithful.

Notice with me that this promise is not for those who think they are “all that and a bag of chips”. Nor for those who regard realizing our own brokenness and need for Jesus Christ, as a “crutch” for the weak. It takes humility to admit our need (in whatever form it takes) and then coming to the Saviour.

I don’t know what trial has smacked you between the eyes, or what circumstance has become too heavy to bear… but He does. And His promise for you stands. “Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest…”

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

Father, When I am weary and burdened by the trials of this life, remind me of Your nearness and Your call to simply… come. To You. I love You Lord. In Jesus’ name, Amen

Written by Becky White for the Lord Jesus

To help you on your journey, click here for a FREE pdf of the devotional, Stony Paths, learning to trust Him as we walk along the Stony Paths of real life, or to purchase a hard copy.

Wrapped in a Bow

God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose. Romans 8:28 NASB 1995

To give unto them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; that they might be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the LORD, that he might be glorified. Isaiah 61:3 KJV

He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him. 2 Corinthians 5:21 NASB 1995

I strategically placed a bright yellow stuffed chick, peanut butter and chocolate eggs, and candy filled, pastel colored plastic eggs in a basket. All surrounded by handfuls of fruit-flavored jelly beans, nestled in neon colored “grass.” Smiling, I stood back to admire the grandkid’s Easter baskets, knowing how excited they will be to tear into the carefully crafted baskets. The only thing missing was a bow.

Real life comes with lots of missing-bow scenarios.

Wouldn’t it be nice if life always came wrapped in a bow, complete with wrapped-in-a-bow endings? But that’s not reality, is it? Even for followers of Jesus Christ, if you’ve lived longer than ten minutes, you understand that no one is exempt from the pain of life. Because of sin, life often comes to us with the somebody-forgot-the-bow and “cracked eggs” of childhood challenges, addiction, abuse, regret, rejection, depression, fear, disappointments or (you fill in the blank). Wrapped in a bow, it’s not.

But even in the midst of that reality, our God is so good. So faithful. He uses the cracked eggs of bitter disappointment and regret, or the somebody-forgot-the-bow pain of addiction, despair and hopelessness. Giving us beauty for ashes as He causes all things to work together for our good and His glory. Offering us not just a new beginning, but a new birth. A new life. And this was all made possible by the no-bow-anywhere-in-sight crucifixion of our Lord. The great exchange. Taking on Himself our sin and offering us His righteousness. But just like the Easter basket gift, we must reach out and take the gift offered us.

I would love to tell you, that accepting this gift will wrap every life circumstance in a bow, but we both know that isn’t true. What this gift will provide is eternal life … along with strength, wisdom, soul-deep peace, and authentic hope as you walk through the challenges of real life. And when the time comes for you to breath your last breath here, you will experience your first breath in His Presence. I’m sure He’ll have lots of bows!

“God proved His love on the Cross. When Christ hung, and bled, and died, it was God saying to the world, ‘I love you.’”
Billy Graham

Lord Jesus, Please give us eyes to see You, even in the no-bow-in-sight situations of real life. Enable us to trust You, even when all around us are cracked-eggs difficulties or I-don’t-understand trials. Thank You for taking our sin and giving us Your Righteousness. We are so thankful, Lord! In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Written by Becky White for my Lord Jesus

Click here for FREE pdf of Stony Paths devotional or to view our products page

Holy Week

We have arrived. The most important week in all of human history. Holy week. A time to reflect on Jesus Christ, the very Lamb of God, who gave His life as a ransom for you and I. Nailed to a wooden Cross for our sins, willingly dying a torturous physical death and then rising again, three days later. Let us never lose the awe of that fact.

While I am not into religiosity, or the trappings of customs for custom’s sake, I am into celebrating, honoring and worshipping our Lord Jesus Christ and doing whatever it takes to purposefully call to mind His gracious gift to a sinner like me. Like you. With that in mind, Anne Graham Lotz’s ministry has graciously given permission to share her Holy Week Scripture readings. This is not a religious exercise, but rather an opportunity to soberly remind ourselves of what He accomplished on our behalf, through listening to His Word being read by Anne.

By all means, enjoy the chocolate bunnies, peanut butter concoctions and pastel-colored eggs, but let’s not forget the reason for our celebration. Click here and join me as we celebrate Holy Week together!

Holy Week Scripture Readings

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