Lover of My Soul

By Debby Craig

This Week’s Verse: Song of Solomon 5:10 “My lover is dark and dazzling, better than ten thousand others!” (NIV)

Devotion:

*He stops whatever he’s doing & listens to every word when I say, “let’s talk”.

*He loves me even when I am being a brat.

*He is always there for me any time, any place.

*When I feel unwanted, he gently reminds me of how much I am worth to him.

*He is my provider for every one of my financial needs.

*He makes sense when I don’t.

*When I look at myself in the mirror and see “old, wrinkled, chubby and gray” he still calls me the "most beautiful one".

*He really, really loves me just like I am.

*I am so lucky he chose me.

I am talking about my husband.

A few months ago as we heard the sermon series on marriage & dating, I jotted down a few notes and couldn’t help but notice the similarities between the way I feel about my husband & the way I feel about God.

When I was lost and didn’t know the Lord, I thought I had to do it all. I thought I had to fix everything and depend on my own smallness to solve all the problems and mistakes that I had accumulated in this life. Once I found Him it is all changed. He is my soul mate.

The Lord has sent me someone to help provide for my needs. He has sent a man who isn’t scared to take care of me. And, I am not scared to accept his willingness to do so. This is God’s natural way for me to depend on my husband for the earthly things in our relationship. These include (but are not limited to) comfort, financial stability, self worth, loving kindness, gentleness, and peace.

I love feeling this way about my husband and I love knowing that I can also curl up into our Lord’s arms any time I want. Because of this, I feel blessed.

Dear Lord, thank you for being my provider, my caregiver, my healer, my comforter, my friend, and my Father. Thank you for sending me a wonderful husband who also loves to care for me and loves me just the way I am. You know my heart inside and out. Thank you for giving me just as I need. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

Application: How long has it been since you have written a love letter? Try writing one this week to either your Father in Heaven, or your earthly love.

Power Verses:

Luke 19:10 “For the Son of Man came to seek and save what was lost.” (NIV)

1 Corinthians 7:4 “The wife’s body does not belong to her alone but also to her husband. In the same way, the husband’s body does not belong to him alone but also to his wife.” (NIV)

Ephesians 5:25 “For husbands, this means love your wives, just as Christ loved the church. He gave up his life for her.” (NLT)

What If?

by Debby Craig

This Week's Verse: Acts 20:28, "Now it's up to you. Be on your toes—both for yourselves and your congregation of sheep. The Holy Spirit has put you in charge of these people—God's people they are—to guard and protect them. God himself thought they were worth dying for."(MSG)

Devotion:
As I looked around church last Sunday I noticed how many people I didn’t recognize. Who were they? Did I know them? Were they visiting for the first time or had they been coming for weeks and just happened to sit on “my side” this time? Whichever it was, I needed to make sure that I greeted them with a smile that would come from Christ himself.

But I don’t always do that. Do you? We sometimes get caught up in this mindset: but I don’t know who they are – I’m sure someone else knows them or invited them and I’m not in the greatest mood today so I better not say anything or look their way.

There are many, many “what if” stories we could imagine about the visitors that come through our church doors, but here is just one.

What if the visitor had fought with herself all week about finally getting there that particular Sunday morning for some unknown reason to her (read on)? What if her mother had been praying for her for as long as she could remember to come back home to the Lord? And what if that young woman ran into me or you on that very first visit--scared, away from her hometown, not knowing anyone at all--and we were in one of those “moods” and did not look her way.

What would we tell her mother? What would we tell our Lord?

Let’s be cheerful when we meet new people in church. It’s the place Our Father drew them to get loved on! Let’s greet people all over the place. Who cares who they are or what they were doing yesterday. Let’s pretend like we invited them over for dinner and are so glad to see them. If we see someone and we don’t know who they are, let’s say “Hi” – tell them our name and they will probably tell us theirs. It is a simple concept and it works. We might even get a reputation of being "the friendly person." Our whole church needs to be "the friendly person" for that matter.

Even if we weren’t born with that touchy-feely gene, the Holy Spirit can muster it up on demand. Galatians 5:22 says, "But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness..."

What if we submit to the Spirit?

What if we reach out to others as Christ Himself?

What if?

Father, help us to discern and follow your promptings in making people feel welcome and loved. Love them through us, in Jesus' Name.

Application:
Let’s get it started girls! Let’s not let one person slip by us or slip out that door this Christmas season. Let's impress the Lord on them so much that they leave thinking, I love these people. I know why my momma has been praying for me now. I think I’m coming back next week.

Power Verses:
John 21:15, "After breakfast Jesus asked Simon Peter, 'Simon son of John, do you love me more than these?' 'Yes, Lord,' Peter replied, 'you know I love you.' 'Then feed my lambs,' Jesus told him."(NLT)
Psalm 68:3, "But let the godly rejoice. Let them be glad in God’s presence. Let them be filled with joy."(NLT)
John 13:35, "By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another."(NIV)

Beyond the Smoke

by Debby Craig

This Week's Verse: 2 Chronicles 16:9a, “For the eyes of the LORD run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to shew himself strong in the behalf of them whose heart is perfect toward him." (KJV)

Devotion:
The Lord was patient with me when it came to my habit of smoking. I accepted Christ as my personal Savior on 1/1/1979 and I quit smoking 21 years later on 10/25/2000--nine years ago. I had tried at least eight times before that to kick the habit. I learned a lot about His love for me when I finally quit.

I woke up with no voice that day – it was a sign! I took the cigarettes and ran water over them before I put them in the trash. (You have to do that when you quit or else when the urge hits you will sift through the broken pieces in the trash and find at least one that will work.) I made it 45 minutes until I had the first attack and without any hesitation, as usual, I headed to the car to go get another pack. I had a talk with the Lord as I headed out to the garage and told Him, “This is useless. I can’t do this, and you know it. You have seen me try and try and you understand because you know me better than anyone does.”

The radio was on when I started the car. It was “testimony day” on WBGL and at that precise moment (God’s timing) a woman was praising God because she had asked the Lord to help her quit smoking and she hadn’t had a cigarette since. That is when I realized that I had never given this “thing” to the Lord. I was trying to do it alone.

I was broken at that moment. I couldn’t ever do this on my own and the Lord knew that. He had been so patient with me. When I realized that He was right there in the car wrapping His big arms around me and comforting me, I knew He would be there for every urge and every “fit” until it was over. This was a HUGE day for me. I didn’t have to do it. He did it for me.

I used this week's verse as encouragement for many years in the battle: “For the eyes of the LORD run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to shew himself strong in the behalf of them whose heart is perfect toward him." I could just see God looking back and forth and then He finds me and shows himself strong in my behalf at the perfect moment!

Has He possibly given me more time here on earth to spread His word and tell people about His amazing love, patience, and strength? Maybe an extra nine years that I wouldn’t have had before? I don’t know the answer to that – only He does.

What I do know is that I have a new understanding of how addictions happen and how they can control us. The ministry that He eventually planned for me called me to look past everyone's addications and see them as He did. Maybe it took so long in my case because He knew that I needed that personal lesson from Him to have it hit home and to empathize with those I'm now called to minister to.

Dear Heavenly Father, You have done so much for me and my family and still I waste days and sometimes even weeks or months and don’t shout to the rooftops of your might and power. I am so glad that you never turn your back on us. I pray that you will give me a boost of you when it is needed most. Show me the people in my path that need you and give me the words to share with them to let them know how much you love them. Please give me patience with them while they are waiting on their lessons from you.

Application:
Identify your addictions. Have a frank talk with God about your deliverance from them, recognizing it's all Him, not you. Listen for direction on how to use your experience to minister to others.

Power Verses:
Romans 10:13-14, “Anyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved. But how can they call on Him to save them unless they believe in Him? And how can they believe in Him if they have never heard about Him? And how can they hear about Him unless someone tells them?"(NLT)
1 Corinthians 10:13, "No test or temptation that comes your way is beyond the course of what others have had to face. All you need to remember is that God will never let you down; he'll never let you be pushed past your limit; he'll always be there to help you come through it." (MSG)

The Lifestyle Change

by Debby Craig

This Week’s Verse: 2 Chronicles 16:9a, “For the eyes of the LORD range throughout the earth to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to him.”(NIV)

Read the following statements and see if you can guess what specific change is being addressed:

--We have to live it daily or we will fall back into our old ways and habits.

--We have to practice staying focused – but we do!

--We tell all of our loved ones and friends about it, and in a way we are trying to convince them to try it.

--We don't mean to, but we offend some (probably many) with our chatter about it.

--We know it might take months or years to get where we want, but even so we are determined.

Have you guessed? Nowadays we call it our new lifestyle change, not a DIET! Maybe not all of you, but some, have either been the dieter or the dietee (the one listening to the chatter of your loved one or friend about her new “lifestyle change”).

All of the statements above, however, also sound like they could pertain to living for Christ!

There is nothing wrong with dieting and watching what we put into this body of ours. After all, 1 Corinthians 6: 19-20 says, “Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God. You are not your own, you were bought with a price; therefore honor God with your body.”(NIV)

And then when that 350 calorie meal leaves me still famished and wanting more food, I remember the diet verse I found: Lamentations 3:24, “ So I say to myself, the Lord is my portion, therefore I will wait on Him!”(NIV)

Oh, that we would have the same excitement, boldness, and lack of fear when it comes to telling others about Jesus as we have when telling about discovering the “right” diet. He is the ultimate and final lifestyle change. He has the power to change the behaviors and habits in our lives that need fixin’ and He does so on a regular basis. If we are having success with our weight loss, are we giving credit to the new “lifestyle change” we discovered? Or are we giving credit to Whom it belongs?

Dear Heavenly Father, we forget you sometimes. We are so sorry for that. Forgive us, Lord. We know that you are proud of us when we are trying to do what is best for your temple (our bodies) but help us remember where we get our strength during those hard times. Put people in our path that need you and give us another chance to be helpful. We pray for the right words, Dear Lord, when it comes to telling our loved ones and friends how you can fix their bodies and self-esteem with just a whisper and a hug.

Application:
God directs all our steps and our strength comes from Him. The next time we boast about something good going on in our lives or bodies, let’s remember who has control over it and give Him the credit when someone asks “How are you doing it?”

Power Verses:
1 Corinthians 8:8, “But fortunately God doesn't grade us on our diet. We're neither commended when we clean our plate nor reprimanded when we just can't stomach it. But God does care when you use your freedom carelessly in a way that leads a fellow believer still vulnerable to those old associations to be thrown off track.” (MSG)
Psalm 18:1, “I love you, Lord; you are my strength. (NLT)

Honor Them

by Debby Craig

This Week's Verse: Ephesians 6:2, 3, “Honor your father and mother, that it will go well with you and that you may enjoy long life on earth.” (NIV)

Devotion:
Since I have lost both of my parents, the Holiday season has not been the same for me. I just miss being "somebody's little girl" at Christmas time. During one of our Worship services this Christmas season, I noticed that paper about the poinsettia tree, so I wrote down my mom and dad's names, popped the $20.00 in the envelope, and dropped it in the plate, thinking to myself, “There, that's all you can do, feel better now, Debby.” But the Lord had a different idea than mine for making me “feel better.”

I walked into church that Sunday after Christmas and made my way over to the tower of poinsettias to read the memorial plaque at the base. As I read Mom and Dad's names, I instantly received this little glimpse of heaven. There was our Lord who, maybe for the first time, had called my mom and dad to His side as a couple and said, “Look there – see how she honored you today in My place for everyone to see.”

I loved that moment!! That was the best present ever. He understood my heartache. Did this instant vision come from God? Well, I must say I do have a vivid imagination when it comes to the Lord and heaven and all that, but this time I am giving the Lord all of the credit for surprising me with that little tidbit from Heaven and what followed this event.

I went home feeling different about Christmas for the first time since Dad's death but I kept remembering those words Our Lord spoke, “See how she honored you today.”

But did I honor them when they were here with me or even with my words after their death? Not always. Conviction set in and I started to ask the Lord for forgiveness. I was mad at my mom all of my adult life for something she really couldn’t help and it showed in the way I spoke of her. My words were not honorable and sweet at all.

A little over a year after Mom's death my dad re-married. His new wife was very hard to get to know. Totally opposite of my mom, I thought to myself. Our new step-mom didn't seem to care or want to get to know us at all. Our relationship with Dad was different and strained from that point on. I was angry at both of them for that and it was a "justified" anger since I had a few siblings who agreed with me. My lifelong comments about that whole ordeal were definitely not honoring to my earthly father or my Heavenly Father.

Needless to say, I felt better after asking for His forgiveness and it was so typical of Our Lord to give me that gift and then attach a life lesson at the same time. This particular lesson was a hard one, however, even though my heart usually feels so much better when He has been tugging and yanking on it. Afterwards, I pondered this thought: What would my relationship have been like with mom and dad if I had turned that anger and bitterness over to the Lord a lot sooner?

Dear Heavenly Father, Search me O God, you know my heart: See if there is any offensive way in me and lead me in the way everlasting. Thank you Father for giving me back the sweet memories of my youth.

Application:
Anger and bitterness eat away at the person God created us to be. Ask Him to show you if there is a problem in the way you speak or feel about your earthly parents (or anyone for that matter). If we justify our anger or bitterness about our past we are leaving God out of our lives. Without a pure heart we cannot carry out the ministry He has planned for us in a way that honors Him.

Power Verses:
Ephesians 4:31, “Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger.” (NIV)
Ephesians 2:10, “For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.”(NIV)

Would You Like to Pray?

by Debby Craig

This Week’s Verse: 1 Samuel 1:27, “I prayed for this child and the Lord has granted me what I asked of Him.”

Devotion:
I spent the day with my daughter-in-law, Elizabeth, today. She is married to my son Matthew and is a constant reminder to me of “The Miracle” that happened in our family. Periodically, one of Matt’s old friends will stop by to see them and she listens in awe as stories of his past are told. “This can't be,” she has shared with me. “I don't even know this guy they are talking about.”

He was addicted to alcohol and drugs at an early age. Our whole family lived this horror as he replaced all that was important and precious to him for that next fix. I tried to hide my broken heart, anger, disappointment, guilt, and shame, but frequently I would ask my Sunday school class, our small groups, and the Wednesday prayer service to pray for Matthew. I was always asking others to pray for my son. We are told in scripture to carry each others’ burdens to the Lord in prayer. I began to see God moving in Matt’s life and reported each incident to the people who had spent so much time in prayer for my son and family.

Then about six years ago, Karen Keim bought me a book called Moments for Families with Prodigals. I read it in one night. It was prayer after prayer for my son from the Word. They were my prayers. Then it hit me! I had been asking others to ask the Lord for Debby's most crucial “heart” requests. My heavenly Father longed to hear from me—from my heart—about my pain, my dreams, and lost dreams for Matt. This particular book taught me to pray from the heart in the language of a mother's heart. His language—the Word. I just took a passage of scripture, prayed my heart, and inserted my son’s name into the passage.

I was excited and of course I wanted to share this new found insight about prayer with others. I had never felt like I could pray in front of others before. There had to be other mothers out there, just like me, who were amateurs at praying with others or moms who were at their wit’s end or maybe just mommas who wanted to pray for their children.

So… we put a note in The Caller entitled “Mamas Rise Up” inviting moms to come and pray for their children. Some did! God sent Virgie Pearce, Judy Bucher, and Tomma Lu and for years, once a week like clockwork, we prayed and poured out our hearts for our children and their walk with the Lord or their salvation.

We are still praying together as “Moms in Touch” and have more moms than ever before. The Lord has answered our prayers and blessed us with many miracles. We have many testimonies to share about the battles that the Lord has fought for us and won. We are constantly in awe of His never-ending love for us and His Mighty Power. We also realize that Satan is very interested in our little group of moms who are praising and worshiping and expecting miracles for our children and grandchildren, for he has poked his nose in our business many a time. But once again, we have God and His word to do battle for us.

Unsurprisingly, in 2006 Matthew accepted the Lord Jesus as his personal Lord and Savior. He has a brand new heart and it is evident to all that it is a heart for Jesus. He gives God all the Glory for delivering him from his addictions. He says quite boldly and comfortably “I've been delivered.” He prays about everything. He says to me often “Mom—have you prayed about it? Just pray about it!” I feel such great joy when I hear him talk in “God's” language.

The Lord took most of him and replaced it with a new Matt. After his salvation, when he would testify about what the Lord did for him, I was very often left speechless; I didn't know this new person the Lord had put before me. Where was the old Matt? But now, I don't even remember the old Matt. I actually had a hard time pulling together some past memories of the old Matthew to write this. Wasn't that a good problem to have? Praise God! Praise God!

Lord, thank you for opening my heart and allowing me to spill it all out to you in prayer for the lives of my children. Thank you and Praise you for saving my son and the answered prayers of our praying mommas group, and please continue to take care of our dear ones! In Jesus name, Amen.

Application:
Understand what you can and can’t do as a parent. Ruth Graham Bell, in Prodigals and Those Who Love Them, stated it very simply:
“We mothers must take care of the possible and trust God for the impossible. We are to love, affirm, encourage, teach, listen and care for the physical needs of the family. We cannot convict of sin, create hunger and thirst after God, or convict. These are miracles, and miracles are not in our department.”

Power Verses:
1 Samuel 12:23, “As for me, far be it from me to sin against the Lord in ceasing to pray for you.” (NIV)
Matthew 18:19 -20, “Again, I tell you that if two of you on earth agree about anything you ask for, it will be done for you by my Father in heaven. For where two or three come together in my name, there am I with them.” (NIV) Cool!
2 Chronicles 20:15, “Do not be afraid or discouraged because of this vast army. For the battle is not yours, but God's.” (NIV) This is what the Lord says to you mommas!
Lamentations 2:19, “Arise, cry out in the night, pour out your heart like water in the presence of the Lord, Lift up your hands to him for the lives of your children.”

(***Editor's note: This devotion, as Debby mentioned, covers one of the many miracles that has resulted from the prayer efforts of the Mommas' Prayer Group. We look forward to sharing more in the future. Next week we'll hear from Darra Strohm.)