[Urged on] by faith the people crossed the Red Sea as [though] on dry land…

Because of faith the walls of Jericho fell down after they had been encompassed for seven days [by the Israelites].

Others had to suffer the trial of mocking and scourging and even chains and imprisonment. They were stoned to death; they were lured with tempting offers [to renounce their faith].

And all of these…won divine approval by [means of] their faith…

Hebrews 11:29a-30, 36-37,39a AMPC

Sometimes, our faith in the Lord and His Word parts the Red Sea of impossible situations. Sometimes our faith in Him causes the Stone Wall of adversity to crumble at our feet. Talk about mountain-top, arms lifted in praise and worship outcomes! I like that kind of faith outcome, don’t you? And if I’m honest, that’s what I expect as an outcome of faith. Isn’t that the point of faith? To change our circumstances? Maybe.

Recently, while reading the New Testament book of Hebrews, I stopped in my mental tracks as I read and reread chapter eleven.  My eyes lingered on the almost too-familiar verses in this “hall of fame” chapter on Biblical faith giants. I could almost hear the STOP, and REWIND sound effects in my mind as my fingers traced the words. Tucked into this list of faith-walkers were others, whose faith outcome included words like “suffer” and “trials” and “imprisonment.” Holding those verses up to the light and talking to the Author of those words, I asked how this could be. Is it possible that authentic, Biblical faith can produce such an outcome?

Yes. It seems that sometimes, faith in God and His Word don’t necessarily lead to miraculous intervention. But instead to an ever-deepening trust (faith) in Him, regardless of the outcome. A level of trust that looks the vilest circumstance directly in the eye and still says, “Lord, I trust You. I have no idea how this will end, but I know You are faithful and worthy of my trust. You have promised to cause all things to work together for good for those who love You and are called according to Your purpose.”  

Over the years, I have faced seas that did not part, and walls that did not miraculously come down. I bet you have too. Yet, it was during those bitter-sweet times that I experienced the presence of God unlike any other. Rather than my circumstances changing, He chose to change me, and draw me into a closer relationship with Him out of sheer necessity. Have you found that true in your life?

It’s in those dark moments that we have a choice to make – will we hold Him tight, even as the tears fall, and choose to trust Him? The famed preacher, C.H. Spurgeon once said, “To trust God in the light is nothing – to trust Him in the dark, that is faith.” Is there is a circumstance casting a shadow of darkness over you, or someone you love? Even if through tears, will you choose to trust Him? Whatever the outcome? No matter what it looks like, He has a plan and purpose for all He allows to graze your life.

To trust God in the light is nothing – to trust Him in the dark, that is faith.

C.H. Spurgeon

Father, though my heart longs for a miracle, I love You more than any desired outcome. Help me rest in Your faithful goodness, even as I continue to pray in simple faith. 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.

For You have been a Stronghold…and a Shelter from the storm.

When you pass through the waters (of difficulty) I will be with you.

“Those who trust in the LORD will find new strength. They will soar high on wings like eagles. They will run and not grow weary. They will walk and not faint.”

ISAIAH 25:4A ISAIAH 43:2A AMPC Isaiah 40:31

I wish it wasn’t so. But it’s true. Storms of life are inevitable. While the depth and breadth and severity may differ from one person to another, we can all count on them showing up at our door. That’s just real life, isn’t it? Beloved, I promise not to slap a plastic “Praise the Lord” bumper sticker phrase across the pain of your heart, even as I gently prod you to step back, exhale a moment and seek to discover His hand, His very presence with you in your storm.

I have found that though God has seldom prevented storms from whipping up all around me, sometimes with waves crashing so hard that I literally gasp for breath, He has never failed to shelter me with the umbrella of His Presence. With the umbrella of His Peace. With the umbrella of His Comfort. And with the strong umbrella of His sovereign control over all that grazes my life, while promising my good and His glory as the ultimate outcome. He promises the same shelter for you.

Whatever our storm – Divorce or Death. Addiction or Abuse. Discouragement or Disease. Hopelessness or Hostility. Our God is mighty and able to shelter us while these storms pass by. [Psalm 57:1 AMP]. Oh, dear one, will you take His hand as He not only shelters from the storm, but walks you through it?

Father,
Sometimes the wind and waves of this storm cause me to feel overwhelmed, and I hate to admit it, angry at You. Forgive me. I release myself and my difficulties into Your hands. Please envelop me in Your peace and renewed hope. Grant me Your perspective in this storm. I choose to trust You. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Lean hard on Me my child and I will be your peace. Storms shall not disquiet the trusting heart.

FRANCIS J. ROBERTS

Written by Becky White for the Lord Jesus

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Shelter from the Storm is a devo pulled from my 2016 book of the same title. Being birthed through my own season of brokenness and difficulties as I cried out to God for relief, “I can’t take this anymore!” It was a time of desperation as I endured the death of two of my children, faced personal betrayal, coped with rebellious teenagers, acknowledged my own addictions as well as those of others, dealt with childhood trauma, and endured domestic violence, financial reversal, and the often daunting challenges everyday life.

Oh how I wish we could sit together at my kitchen table and talk. I’d offer you a cup of coffee, listen to your story and tell you how sorry I am for your pain. Offering you a tissue as I assure you it’s okay to cry. Though careful not to offer plastic truth, I would surely read you a Psalm or two – the very place where I have found such authentic comfort myself.

Opening my journal and putting pen to paper, I wrote what can be best described as modern-day psalms of lament, but always coming back to the great faithfulness of our God, acknowledging the reality of the pain of the moment and the greater reality of His presence and ability to sustain and strengthen. Through it all, I found, by experience that He is indeed a shelter from the storm. Though He didn’t always stop the rain from falling He was utterly faithful to be my shelter in the midst of my storms.

Be assured, the devotions were not written while reclining on a sundrenched beach or sitting on a country hillside but in the crisis of the moment. Often they were written through tears. Since these devotions are a result of struggling through storms, I hope you will feel that they were written by someone who understands your pain. But even more importantly, I hope they help you know that God understands.

Come, take my hand, and join me under the shelter of the Most High. As we do, I encourage you to jot down any thoughts on your heart, even if those thoughts are your own version of “I can’t take this anymore!” May He encourage you through its pages.

Allow me the honor of taking your hand and talking to the Father with you…

My Lord, Please encourage my friend today. Your Word declares that You are the God of all comfort… please comfort them, Lord! Envelop them in Your Peace that passes all understanding. Grant them strength for the journey. Show them Your great faithfulness and enlarge their capacity to trust You in the midst of all they face. Show Yourself strong on their behalf, Father. Replace fear and hopelessness with Your peace and the assurance that no matter what things look like…You are mighty and able to bring good from this situation. Thank You, Father. In the mighty name of Jesus, I pray. Amen.

To purchase a hard copy, click here or if you prefer to purchase through Amazon, click here. If price is an obstacle, click here for a free download.

And why do you worry about clothes? Consider how the lilies of the field grow: They do not labor or spin. / Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his glory was adorned like one of these. / If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the furnace, will He not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? Matthew 6:28-30

Book Recommendation

Consider the Lilies: Finding Perfect Peace in the Character of God, by Jonny Ardavanis

I don’t usually recommend books (at least not on my blog, if you know me personally, you would cry foul at that statement!), but this book is a stand-out exception!

Truth be told, our *oldest son recommended it several months ago, but I waited for the free edition to be available in audio form on Hoopla (I am a bit frugal). Also, the cover seemed… I don’t know… uninviting? So, I guess I did judge a book by it’s cover. Don’t make the same mistake!

If you’re breathing, you have to one degree or another, struggled with some form of anxiety. Even as followers of the Lord Jesus Christ, we are not immune to its clutches and downward spiral. The answers are found in God’s Word; and this author lays out a Biblical and uniquely woven description concerning dealing with anxiety. All derived from Scripture. I encourage you to check it out, read a sample online, etc.

“The peace of God does not fall into our laps as we sit and wait for it but rather is given by God to those who fix their minds on and fill their hearts with God’s matchless and unchanging character.” (Italics not added) – Jonny Ardavanis

Thank you, Aaron! I love you sweetheart!

https://a.co/d/eHanI5r Amazon link

Written for the Lord Jesus by Becky White

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 (usually!) 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.

In my distress I called upon the Lord, And cried to my God for help; He heard my voice out of His temple, And my cry for help before Him came into His ears. Psalm 18:6 NASB

Then Jonah prayed to the Lord his God from the fish’s belly, “I cried out of my distress to the Lord, and He heard me.”  Jonah 2:1-2a AMPC

“And the Word of the Lord came to Jonah the second time.” Jonah 3:1

Have you ever needed a second (or 3^rd or 4^th or 20^th) chance? I admit I have (a few times).

Come with me, let’s peek behind the curtain of Jonah’s second-chance story. Or should we say, this God-of-second-chances story. Second chances for the dirty-rotten, down right evil, folks of Nineveh. And second chances for this prophet of God, who wanted no part in warning Nineveh, who as far as he was concerned, deserved a divine smackdown.

God told Jonah to warn the Ninevites of His impending judgment. But Jonah didn’t think the Ninevites deserved a warning. So, although God said go east to Nineveh, Jonah boarded a ship heading west to the city of Tarshish. Not exactly prophet-of-the-year in the making. Once on the ship, God sent a life-threatening storm that eventually turned Jonah into fish food. Chapter two tells us, “Now the Lord prepared and appointed a great fish to swallow Jonah and he was in the belly of the fish for three days and three nights.” Jonah 1:17 AMPC. Don’t miss that fact that God prepared and appointed the fish. This was no man-over-board accident that randomly resulted in a big fish that just happened to be swimming by! Though Jonah rebelled, God faithfully arranged a unique time-out space for him to think through his choices.

I am astounded at this picture of God’s mercy and grace.

Has God ever prepared and appointed a “big fish” for you? A sort of divine time out that has allowed you time to think through life, or bad choices or simply sift through priorities? Maybe it’s a season of learning that God is faithful even in the darkness of the fish’s belly. I love how C.H. Spurgeon puts it, “Anything is a blessing which makes us pray.” Anything. My belly-of -the-fish moments have included everything from the death of two of my children to financial reversal.

Sometimes we are thrown over-board by our own sin and rebellion, other times, life throws us into the “depths of the sea” by virtue of simply being alive. And sometimes, other people’s choices throw us overboard. Regardless of how we arrive in our “fish-belly” state, I want us to see that God is present. Seaweed baggage and all. He is attentive to our cries for help and we can be assured that nothing happens to a child of God by happenstance.

After Jonah’s divine timeout, we read these words in chapter three; “And the Word of the Lord came to Jonah the second time.”  God didn’t have to offer Jonah a second chance to do the right thing. But He did. And Jonah took it. This time the prophet of God did as directed and warned the folks of impending doom.  God offered the Ninevites a second chance, spoken of by a man who had just experienced one.

We may need a second chance to do the right thing or a second chance to handle a trial the right way or maybe our second chance has come in the form of a second season of life. Whatever the reason we are in need of a second chance, listen to His voice as He speaks to you … “The Word of the Lord came to (fill in your name) a second time.”

“It’s God’s mercy that provides the belly of the beast.”

Jeff Schreve

Father God, there are no words that could adequately express my thankfulness for Your gift of the fish’s belly that led to my second chance at life. I worship You in the beauty of Your holiness. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

 Written by Becky White for the Lord Jesus

Click here for info on my devo Stony Paths or for a FREE pdf of Stony Paths.

“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

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.

An audio only, short montage of thoughts on “Thus saith the LORD.”

Who or what are you listening to?

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