Devotional

Follow God’s faithfulness in Scripture & surrender this Christmas season to Christ.

Devotional used by our Women's Ministry on October 28, 2023 for a time of prayer at Rip Van Winkle Gardens at Jefferson Island.

In Acts 1 we see the final work of Jesus on earth. He was taken up before their eyes. This coming week we celebrate the beginning of his work on earth. His birth! The great fufillment of promised salvation!

Read Luke 24 each day.

For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders.And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Isaiah 9:6

I continue to try to set my heart on things above. I really am trying…I talk to God more regularly…I have definitely been trying to listen to God more regularly! In addition, I talk to my wife more regularly…and I have been trying to listen to her more regularly! At least that’s my side of the story!

Jesus never did anything by accident. As Robert Coleman wrote years ago, “His life was ordered by his objective. Everything he did and said was a part of the whole pattern. It had significance because it contributed to the ultimate purpose of His life in redeeming the world for God…. Mark it well. Not for one moment did Jesus lose sight of His goal.”

So, when Joseph came to his brothers, they stripped him of his robe—the ornate robe he was wearing— and they took him and threw him into the cistern. The cistern was empty; there was no water in it. (Genesis 37:23-24)

In times such as this, we may lean toward having negative thoughts, scared thoughts, panicky thoughts. This style of thinking can lead towards all kinds of problems, including a negative mental state, which can lead to depression. Practicing good thinking may be hard, but it can prove to be life-changing if you diligently pursue the exercise of having good thoughts.

About a year ago our pastor Dennis did a sermon series entitled Transforming Encounters, that went from September to April. In this series we read one chapter a day in the New Testament, and on Sunday Dennis would preach on the chapter that was for that day. We loved it! It really got us into daily reading aloud of God’s Word together as a couple.

“Wait patiently” are two words that keep rolling over and over again in my mind. I’m not sure what I am waiting for! Is it my ability to go to a restaurant with friends, to bring the grandkids bowling, to return to Bible studies with live bodies and not just beautiful faces on zoom, to start new relationships, to get back into my routine or maybe just plain answers?

I looked at the time and realized that I was already 20 minutes late for lunch. I certainly didn’t want to miss a meal, so I picked up my things and started trucking it through the woods. My need to find the perfect spot for quiet time had brought me a little off the beaten path, and while off the beaten path is often where we see and hear God more clearly, I had somehow taken a wrong turn.

I have thinking about Jesus and staying focused on Him in the midst of SARS-CoV-2 infested world. The scientists’ warnings to stay home have pushed a pause button in America’s frenetic lifestyles. This has been a slower pace, more restful season of increased margin to contemplate what is important and what is not. 

When the lockdown first began I had the opportunity to sit in on a couple of Zoom webinars with John Ortberg. John is one of my 3 favorite preachers of all time. Whether John is speaking or writing, he has a unique knack of speaking directly to my soul. The topic was about “Preaching and Caring for Your Soul in Disruptive Times”. Needless to say, I could not wait to hear what he had to say about preaching to a camera in an empty room when the whole world is in disrupted chaos.

We recently watched a documentary series on Netflix called “Losers,” about athletes who failed and the aftermath of that failure. Most of them learn from their failures, find new passions, grow in character, etc., and I highly recommend the series. But that’s not why I mention it here.

One of the things I love about Trinity is the way so many people put feet to their faith. From helping provide needed supplies to single moms through Living Hope to providing food to those in need in Liberia, West Africa, your faith compels you to show up for others, and I am encouraged by your actions. In the Christian faith we have a God who shows up and is present with us. In account after account throughout scripture we see this to be true of God’s character.

I hate waiting! I hate waiting in line at CFA for my chicken sandwich. I hate waiting for my five year old to find his shoes when I’m ready to run out the door. I hate waiting for my wife’s chocolate chip cookies to cool so that I can eat the two she gives me and then snag a third. I want things immediately, without delay, in my perfect timing. While minor infractions on my time make me impatient, I get downright uncomfortable when I find myself stuck in one season while waiting for the next.

In the midst of COVID chaos I have found much to be thankful for. I have a 5 month old daughter that I’ve gotten to spend so much time with. My wife and I have had time to work on our marriage and our relationship as a family! I couldn’t be more grateful for this time. Gratefulness comes easy for me in this time. Peace, however, does not. 

I grew up in North Carolina in the foothills of the mountains. My Daddy loved music and sang in the church choir. He would sit on the back porch with a radio on listening to Gospel music, 88.1 was his favorite. I would often find him bowing in prayer as he listened. As a kid I never really got it. But now as an adult, wife, mother, daughter, and sister I do.

I’m sure that’s what the Apostles were constantly asking each other. Every now and then, they asked Jesus as well. They felt that they were misled, that they would be elevated and honored, wealthy and powerful, independent and free. Instead, they were poor and endangered. They huddled together in a barricaded room, waiting for the green light to safely re-enter society.

“…because the Spirit’s law of life in Christ Jesus has set you free…” (Rom. 8:2)‍ “All those led by God’s Spirit are God’s sons…you did not receive a spirit of slavery to fall back into fear...” (Rom. 8:14, 15)‍“…set free…into the glorious freedom of God’s children.” (Rom. 8:21)

Today when I read Susan’s story about pennies, it reminded me that God speaks to us all in different ways, especially in trying times like we are in today. Just open your heart and see. Years ago when we lived in Baton Rouge, there was a small lake in our backyard. Sometimes I would go out on our deck for my daily quiet time. I began to notice a majestic blue heron was always out there.

For the time being, I want to find balance. Thanks to social media, I see my Martha-friends cleaning out closets, garages, and attics. They’re managing their homes and children and schools like military reform camps. I see my Martha Stewart-friends crafting with their children and sewing masks. They are playing games and organizing nature scavenger hunts.

The coronavirus will soon be one of those historic events we all will talk about. The conversations will start out with something like, “I remember exactly where I was and what I was doing when the governor of Louisiana closed down the schools.”

Early on in the quarantine, Dennis and I were walking in the neighborhood in the morning. As we headed down to the half-way point of our walk, a couple was headed toward us. The man was on his bike and the woman was walking 2 really big dogs, all on the same side of the street we were on. We decided to cross the street to let them pass by. When we stepped up on the sidewalk on the other side, I found 2 pennies! The Lord was quick to tell me that I only found this ‘treasure’ because I had taken a detour!

Have you found yourself asking that question lately? How long will this pandemic last? How long will the stay at home orders last? How long before I can go back to work? How long before I can see my family and friends?

TGIF . . . Thank Goodness It’s Friday! Or is it?? Is it Friday or Saturday? It’s hard to know what day it is when every day feels like Saturday. One day last week I drove through the McDonald’s drive-thru (don’t judge~I’m tired of cooking) and asked for the $5 Wednesday meal deal and the voice in the box said, “I’m sorry, ma’am, but today’s Thursday.” Oh yeah. I knew that.

Maybe it’s because we didn’t have any grandchildren until after age 60, but we’re totally enamored with ours! We now have 5 grandchildren ages 4 and under, living in 3 states, and we just long to be around them…sort of how God longs to be around us. We babysit our 3-year-old grandson once a week and love taking him places. Watching over and caring for him reminds me so much of the way God watches over and cares for us. If you have children, I think you’ll relate….

One evening some 24 years ago, my focus was totally on surrounding events which I viewed as life altering in the greatest way. My wife and I had gotten in our car for a 3 hour drive home having gotten the diagnosis of a terminal illness that had befallen her. The lengthy afternoon discussion had revolved around what she had, her choices that would seemingly affect how she would die, and the timeframe in which that event would likely occur.

Dennis' sermon on Hope and our anchor really brought back some memories to a hopeless time in my life. Nearly 20 years ago, I was diagnosed with keratoconus, a progressive and degenerative disease of the cornea, the front part of the eye. I immediately traveled to specialists throughout the south, New Orleans, Houston, Dallas, and the result was always the same. In essence, the ordinary course of treatment did not work.

Each day during the past month has seen me conflicted. I receive conflicting facts about an unseen virus. I receive misleading and conflicting answers when I ask questions. This leaves me emotionally, intellectually and spiritually further conflicted. Each day brings new numbers, different death tolls and cases. I am conflicted about whether the proper response by our officials is accurate. 

Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Philippians 4:4. Really, Paul, rejoice when ……a dangerous virus is spreading throughout the world?…there isn’t enough money to pay the bills this month?…loneliness threatens to overwhelm me?…I’m stuck in my house for who knows how long?

My grandmother gave me a one year bible for my high school graduation in 2013. I have a tendency to stick to it every day from New Years until some time around Mardi Gras; at which point I get the urge to clean off my cluttered workspace and put the book back on the shelf. In reading through it this month, I was reminded of this tendency by how much more underlined text and notes were in the January, February and March readings than those after April 1st. ‍

It seems like this season is characterized by having too little and too much at the same time. Some of us who live alone have too much spare time and too little interaction with others, while others with children have too little spare time and too much interaction. Some are aching for human contact while others just want a few feet of personal space.

“I will bow down toward your holy temple and give thanks to your name for Your constant love and truth. You have exalted Your name and Your promise above everything else. On the day I called, You answered me; You increased strength within me.” (Ps. 138:2-8)

Up and down. High and low. Rides are enjoyable with their predictable motion that sometimes has a few bumps and thrills along the ride. Teeter-totters are fun because we have the choice and participate in the rhythm. They aren’t so much fun when your partner is heavier and can keep you at the top for however long they like or push off so hard that when you land, you nearly fall off. The emotional and informational teeter-totter that we are currently strapped to isn’t that much fun.

Jesus said to the Jews who had believed in Him, “If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” – John 8:31-32. Lets face it, most of us are not satisfied with the TRUTH, we want ANSWERS. We believe that answers will set us free.

One thing that I love most about God’s creative design is the fact that we are all so incredibly unique and different. You might find people you have things in common with or who have similar personalities, but there is no one out there just like you. All of your past experiences, passions, gifts and personality come together to create something that is one of a kind.

I absolutely love that God has given us the amazing gift of imagination. Some of the greatest things in our world have come from a person’s ability to envision something in their mind and then bring it into fruition. I personally love using my imagination superpower to create, craft, and sew. I believe one of the greatest uses of our imagination is to power our faith.

“When the virus ends...” I hear these words on a daily basis from my four year old. It’s amazing what a four year old can understand. He understands that he can get sick, and that he must stay away from his friends. He understands that he must wash his hands and that we have to protect his baby sister. He yearns to hug his friends and return to school. Everyday his little mind is working, and he dreams up big plans for “when the virus ends”.

As I enter into this Good Friday I’m wondering about the angels. Angels have been intimately involved in Jesus’ life from before he was born. It was the angel Gabriel that came to Mary and announced that she would give birth to God’s son. Another angel, maybe Gabriel again, came to Joseph in a dream and told him to move forward with marrying Mary. When Jesus was born a choir of angels filled the sky over the shepherds and sang, “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests.”

As I sat watching the news, the message requesting prayer came in. The message was urgent as his oxygen was being increased. The virus was effecting people that we knew, our friends, our family, it was hitting close to home. The panic starts to set in, and I begin to worry and pray. The fear grips me, and I pray more. A thought pops in my head, and I have no doubt it was placed there by God himself. The story of Peter.

We are truly living very special times. In a minute and without announcement, our sovereign God has stopped our lives and our routines have been shaken. Suddenly and before our eyes, our idols have been revealed, our comfortable lives, control over our schedules, kids’ activities, performance, our jobs, our economy, and even our beloved church.

The Road to Emmaus‍. Invariably, whenever I am thinking about what would make a good Bible study, or perhaps a good sermon, I land on the Gospel of Luke, chapter 24. This section of Scripture contains a beautiful, but random, Easter story. I should qualify that last statement; nothing is random from God’s point of view.

Ok…stay with me on this. During my childhood, there was an arts and crafts toy that looked like a plastic coloring page. You could color the picture, cut it out and then—put in the oven. There it would magically shrink into a key chain that your mother would cherish always. I loved, loved, loved Shrinky Dinks. I loved to watch them in the oven as the heat would cause them to shrivel and the colors would intensify

During the summer, our family loves to spend time at our local pool. When Dawson was a baby he would simply float in the water with Mom or Dad. This past summer was the first summer he was willing to take some risks. Or should I say, it was the first time I was able to convince him to take some risks. He was completely satisfied splashing around in the shallow water, but I wanted to convince him that the shallow water was not as fun as the deeper water.

One of my favorites places to be, is outside the 3 & 4 year-old class during our first service on Sunday mornings. It’s quiet for a while as the lesson is being taught, then all of a sudden you hear these sweet voices singing….“this little light of mine, I’m gonna let it shine; let it shine, let it shine, let it shine.”

I lose things all the time: keys, phone, shoes, glasses. Most of the time, I can find those things, or something better, if I will just look hard enough. It seems like I’ve lost a lot of things in the last few weeks. In the midst of the loss, its been important for me to look for the things that can be found.

“Haven’t I commanded you: Be strong and courageous? Do not be afraid or discouraged, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.” (Joshua 1:9)‍ One of the constant themes throughout scripture is the admonition to not be fearful. From Abraham to Paul, Genesis to Revelation, over and over the Lord tells His children to not be afraid. Moses was afraid of being sent against Pharaoh; the children of Israel were afraid to enter the promised land because of the “giants”; Paul often expressed fear and weakness – sometimes worried that his work as the Lord’s Apostle to the gentiles had been in vain. ‍

We’ve all been told and reminded to count our blessings, and we as christians are certainly not without every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places as Paul tells us in Ephesians. Practicing gratitude is of the utmost importance for your heart and your mind. However, these past couple of weeks spent in Philippians have reminded me to count my losses…

This week I’ve been reading the story of Jesus’ calming the storm. Mark 4:35-41‍ Before Jesus calms the storm, we read that the disciples said, “Teacher, don’t you care if we drown?” In the book of Luke, the same story says the disciples cried, “Master, Master, we’re going to drown.” 

You’re walking on your street and a neighbor moves toward you. You take a few steps back and hold up your hand, arm stretched stiff. The message is clear – “Don’t get near.” That’s the message repeated on social media, on televisions, in our heads. Don’t get near. Don’t get near anyone except family members – and then only if they aren’t sniffling, coughing or running a fever. This is a strange time of isolation, distancing and detachment, not what we are made for as human beings.

Last week, we started this wonderful series of devotionals. When I read “set your heart on things above”, I knew what God wanted me to share with all of you. Colossians 3 is the first entire chapter of the bible that I ever put to memory. The chapter begins, “Since then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above. Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. For you died and your life is now hidden with Christ in God”.

I love words. I love how the writing process takes the chaos of the world and slowly brings it into focus, into a cohesive and purposeful whole. However, I find that this revelation through writing happens in a cyclical process. While the beautiful understanding of God’s intention is the grand finale, the process always starts in a place of incredible uncertainty, unrest, and doubt. In that beginning stage of scattered questioning, there are no words. 

What is it that defines you? When we meet someone new, the first thing we usually ask is “What do you do?”. Knowing someone’s job gives you some understanding about that person. When you find out that Heath Morton is a meteorologist, things suddenly make sense a little more.

When I started to process the idea of a month at home with the girls off school and the majority of things shutting down, after some obvious panic was a hope for what this unique time can bring. Never before in my life (and I assume most of ours) has there been an empty month, much less a week, of places to be and things to do.


Building upon our first Coronavirus devotional, it seems appropriate to pull from 1 Peter as we find ourselves in exile, aka social distancing, in 2020. In Peter’s day, the Christians were fleeing persecution under the Roman Emperor Nero, who was infamous for burning Rome and Christians, which became the origin for the phrase “Roman Candles”. While we are not under that sort of attack, the opportunity for fear and hopelessness can set in just as easily when the virus named COVID-19 seems to be taking more from us each day. So, what does Peter have for us some 2000 years later?

Jeremiah 29:11 For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. This verse is one of the great promises of scripture. It stirs hope in the weakest of hearts. But it is important that we understand who originally received this promise. It was written to exiles. Exiles who had been carried away to a foreign country.

At first read, is difficult to understand where David is coming from. David’s army experienced a victory in battle, and yet, he pens this lament Psalm that feels all but victorious. David writes Psalm 60 in the midst of the battle. The battle is not going their way. They are feeling defeated, broken and rejected by God. David writes these words to teach and inspire his men. He reminds them of God’s promise to give this land to them. He reminds them that victory is the Lord’s.