My Hope Is In The Lord: by Ann Broughton

“Behold the eye of the Lord is on those who fear him, on those who hope in his steadfast love” (Psalm 33:18 ESV).

Are you in need of hope? Maybe you are reading this and feeling as if there is no hope. You have reached the point that is at the bottom of a pit and you cannot see your way out whatsoever. The maker of Heaven and earth knows every tear you shed. “You have kept count of my tossings; put my tears in your bottle. Are they not in your book? (Psalm 56:8 ESV) He sees your anguish and knows your despair. Please know, my friend, that you have a hope that will never fail you. If you are a Christian, you have the help of the Holy Spirit to lift you out of that pit and into the peace and joy of the Lord. “May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope” (Romans 15:13 ESV). You see Satan loves it when you are in despair and feeling as if there is no hope. He relishes the fact that you are wallowing in self-pity, and he hopes that you will denounce the Lord in your sorrow. Please do not give in to your despair and blame God for what is happening to you. Life is full of trials, sickness, worry, and evil, but you have the Holy Spirit within you that is far greater in power than you can even imagine. It is this power that can fill you with hope. It is the power of Christ himself. “To them God chose to make known how great among the Gentiles are the riches of the glory of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory” (Col. 1:27 ESV). Pray and believe in your Heavenly Father who is the one who can fill you with the peace and joy that only He can give. He can pull you out of that pit and help you stand in the light of His love.

Dear Lord,

Help me to call upon you when I feel as if I am at the bottom of a pit. Help me to have hope knowing that you will never leave me or forsake me. I know that your power is within me to overcome despair. Fill me with your peace and joy so that I can abound in hope.

In Jesus’ name,

Amen

God’s Strength Never Fails: A devotion by Ann Broughton

“My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness” (2 Corinthians 12:8 NIV).

God spoke to Paul these words because Paul had a problem and wanted relief. This just wasn’t a small problem, because Paul states that it was a thorn in his flesh and a messenger from Satan. He said it tormented him. He also stated that this was sent to him to keep him humble and not conceited. The Lord told him that he needed to rely on Him in order to handle this problem. The Lord’s grace and power would be sufficient to help him. The part I like the most is that Paul finally says that he will delight in his weakness, because when he is weak, then he is strong. ( Corinthians 12:8-19) You see he knew that through the Lord’s strength he could handle any problem or weakness.

I am very certain that there are those reading this who have weaknesses that they would love for God to take away. I have fibromyalgia and would love to not feel achy all the time, but as much as I have prayed that my “thorn” would be healed it hasn’t been healed. There have been some benefits as now I am very sympathetic to anyone who is suffering from pain. Also, I have learned that if I eat a healthy diet the pain is not as severe. God has helped me cope with this and carry on in spite of achiness. Without His strength I would have given up and just lay in bed. It is hard to put into words the peace I feel when I have surrendered this “thorn” into God’s hands. He is my strength when mine has failed.

If you are struggling with an affliction that you consider a thorn, then I would urge you to surrender it to the Lord completely. Let Him have it, and ask Him to help you cope with it. He will give you the strength that only He can give under the circumstances. Trust me, because I know from experience that He will not fail you. Also, offer support to those other people who are suffering who cross your path. Remember these verses: “God is our refuge and strength, an ever present help in trouble” (Psalm 46:1 NIV). “I can everything through him who gives me strength” (Philippians 4:13 NIV).

Dear Lord,

We know that suffering is not easy, but we do know that you can give us the strength to carry on. Help us to trust you to help us when we have times that we feel burdened with our “thorn”, whatever it may be. Thank you for your love that can fill our very souls and give us peace.

In Jesus’ name,

Amen

God is Compassionate: By Ann Broughton

“But you are a forgiving God, gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and abounding in love” (Nehemiah 9:17 NIV).

Are you seeking compassion at this moment? Do you need to know that someone out there cares about you and your problems? Please know that God is full of compassion and is abounding in love. He knows all about your struggles at this time and wants you to know that He alone can give you the peace you seek.

All through the Old Testament are stories of how God was compassionate. He heard the cries of the Israelites and gave them manna from Heaven to eat, provided them with clothing, and water to drink. (Neh. 9:20-21) He extended the life of Hezekiah because he prayed to God to let him live. (2 Kings 20:1-6)  He sent an angel to help Daniel when he was thrown in the lion’s den, and he was saved. (Daniel 6) The list goes on and on how God showed compassion. In the New Testament Jesus’ ministry was one of compassion as He went from town to town healing the sick and casting out demons from people. “When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd” (Matthew 9:36 NIV). Even as he was dying on the cross he had compassion for those who had crucified him, by asking God to forgive them for what they did. (Luke 23:34). These are only a few examples of how the Lord shows compassion. The Bible is full of examples.

You see you may think that nobody cares about you but God does care and is full of compassion towards you. Please lay your burdens at His feet and know that He is very willing to take them from you so that you will not feel their weight any longer. “Praise be to the Lord, to God our Savior, who daily bears our burdens” (Psalm 67:19 NIV). Trust Him to take care of things that are beyond your control. Worrying about it will not help and will only cause you to have tremendous stress. “Cast your cares on the Lord and he will sustain you” (Psalm 55:22 NIV). Pray to the compassionate Lord who hears your prayers and will deliver you from your despair.

Dear Lord,

Sometimes things happen in life that seems overwhelming. I need to feel your compassion during those times. I know from the stories in the Bible that you are a God of compassion and will not forsake me in my time of need. Fill me with your love and peace when the cares of this world seem to overcome me with doubt and fear.

In Jesus’ name,

Amen

Is God Number One in Your Life? A devotion by Ann Broughton

“And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind, and with all your strength” (Mark 12:30 NASV).

The Lord wants to be number one in your life. Now I ask you, is He? It is very easy with busy schedules, work, family, and recreation to not have the Lord as number one in your life. But it is so important that you love Him more than anything, even your family. You see your family will not be blessed if you are not in tune with God and His peace.

Now I would like to be up front and personal. What do you spend the most time thinking about? What do you spend the most money on? Do you tithe? Do you read your Bible every day? Do you pray often? Has anything in your life become more important to you than the presence of God in your life?

These are tough questions, but the answers just might reveal to you if something else has taken precedence over your love of the Lord.

You see God is pretty much a jealous God and does not want you to have idols in your life that you love more than Him. God said, “Thou shall have no other gods before me” (Exodus 20:3 NASV). He punished the Israelites every time they started worshiping other gods. He wanted to be number one and the only one they worshiped. He still wants that today. It is all about surrendering to God what you are worshiping more than Him and making the Lord number one in your life in every way. We are to offer ourselves as a sacrifice to God. “Therefore I urge you, brethren, by the mercies of God to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship” (Romans 12:1 NASV). 

This week reflect on what is number one in your life. Make sure your priorities revolve around the Lord and His purpose for you life. He will bless you, and your life will have new meaning.

Dear Lord,

Please help me to always love you more than anyone or anything in my life. May you always be number one in my life.

In Jesus’ name,

Amen

Keep on Trusting God : a devotion by Ann Broughton

“Trust is the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding: in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight” (Proverbs 3:5-6 NIV).

Have you ever heard the saying; “When the going gets tough, the tough get going”? As Christians there will be times in our lives when indeed the going gets tough. We are not exempt from illness, misfortune, tragedy, or sorrow. But how we handle these situations can be a witness to others who do not have our hope. How do you get going when the going is tough? Let me give you some encouraging thoughts on this subject.

The first thing during a time of crisis is to pray and ask others to pray for you. Tell God about everything and pour out your heart to him. Jesus was in a crisis in the garden when He went to pray before his crucifixion. He asked his friends to pray also. He asked God to take the cup away from him, meaning his approaching death, but then He said to God, “Yet not as I will, but as you will” (Matthew 26:39 NIV). We should always pray that God’s will be done in any situation just like Jesus did. Then we need to trust Him with the answer, knowing that His will is best.

Second, stay calm. I know that this is very difficult, because the very word crisis brings about terror in your soul. But staying calm can happen if you trust God to give you the strength you will need for this time of upheaval in your life. There have been times in my life that God’s peace filled me when otherwise I would have totally lost control of my emotions. I promise that in difficult situations if you trust God and pray, He will give you the strength and peace to meet your difficulty in a calm manner.

Finally, keep on trusting that God has this situation in His hands. He knows the outcome, and He can make everything good. “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose” (Romans 8:28 NIV). 

Dear Lord,

We know that life is filled with unpredictable circumstances that are out of our control. Help us to believe that you are with us and will give us the strength and peace to handle these situations in a way that is a good witness to others.

In Jesus’ name,

Amen

Never Forgotten: a devotion by Ann Broughton

       

“How precious to me are your thoughts, O God! How vast is the sum of them! Were I to count them they would outnumber the grains of sand. When I am away I am still with you” (Psalm 139:17-18 NIV).

Are you feeling as if you have been forgotten by God? Be assured that God is still there for you and loves you tremendously. When I was in high school and college I had to rely a lot on other people to drive me places. We only had one car and my dad or mom always had it for work. There were many instances when someone was suppose to pick me and had forgotten me. Every time I was forgotten I felt like I must not be worth anything or people would remember to pick me up. It was a blow to my self-esteem every time it happened. To be forgotten can be heart breaking.

I know there are those of you reading this that have felt or are feeling forgotten, as if nobody cares about you. Please know that God does care for you and about your life. You are worth so much to Him and He wants you to know this. After all He knew when you were formed: “For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb. I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know full well” (Psalm 139: 13-14 NIV). After all Jesus said that the very hairs of your head are numbered. (Matthew 10:30)

You have a purpose that only you can achieve. You have special abilities that were given you at birth. Pray and ask God how they can be used to glorify His name. Never feel like you are forgotten. You are a child of the King, an heir to the Kingdom of God. “The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children. Now if we are children, then we are heirs-- heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory” (Romans 8:16-17 NIV).

Dear Lord,

Help us to always know that we are special in your eyes, even when we feel we are not. You love us and have a plan for us. Help us to always remember that we are your children and very precious.

In Jesus’ name,

Amen