“But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you.”
John 14:26 ESV
Some Sundays are a sobbing-in-the-back-row kind of day, and this was one of them. The pastor had played a clip from The Chosen (a drama series about the life of Christ), and I couldn’t keep it together. After Jesus urged the disciples to throw their nets to the other side of the boat and try one more time, we watched as they scraped up just enough hope to obey and then beamed with joy and wonder at the hundreds of fish filling their nets.
I was desperate and broken that day, in the midst of a season watching my daughter suffer immense pain that was both undiagnosed and untreated. We’d spent months in doctors’ offices and pharmacies and emergency rooms. I’d done everything I knew and even a few new things in desperation; nothing had worked. I didn’t blame God, but I was starting to question whether or not He was with us or would ever help us.
The overwhelming emotion I felt that Sunday morning took me by surprise, though it shouldn’t have. For decades God has spoken to me using pop culture as a conduit of His truths and hope, wisdom, and strength.
Even as a child, I remember telling my mom about the first song I’d heard on the radio the morning my granddad died. “Mom, I heard ‘Lean on Me,’ and maybe God’s telling us to lean on Him or each other.” I’m not sure it was much comfort to her, but God’s unique kindness that day has stuck with me ever since.
God doesn’t just speak on mountaintops or in burning bushes, through hymns or even quiet times spent in Scripture. If we pay attention, He’ll give us exactly what we need, exactly where we are. He’ll give us strength in the struggle in the most creative ways. From a sunrise to a word from a stranger, from an intense prayer time to a superhero’s speech on the big screen, God is pursuing us and providing for us everywhere.
Amen! May we have eyes to see, ears to hear & hearts looking around for His presence so we don’t miss it! Blessings (((0)))
I couldn’t agree more, Mary!
Mary,
Yes, God does ask us to lean on him and he’s always there!
I went to bed desperately needing sleep to fight off a cold. Awake at 2:00 am, I wondered if I’d made God mad, did he really love me? But, on the other hand, does He sometimes leave me tired and desperate so I have no choice but to lean on him?
I love that God speaks to all of us in different ways. Unique and personal.
Your Grandpa Harold was a gem. I spent many hours over the years sitting with him waiting for my younger sister to finish her piano lesson after mine. Thanks for sparking those memories for me today.
I’m so sorry for all you are going thru with your daughter’s illness. We have dealt with different health issues as I’m sure everyone has but continuing to try to find a solution is really rough. I’ll be praying that you find the right doctor who can help you diagnose what is ailing your daughter. I know you live in CA, there is a wonderful clinic in Santa Barbara that have excellent doctor’s there who show so much concern & wisdom in finding a cure. It’s Sutter Health & they take a lot of different medical insurances. Lord bless you & I hope this helps.
Dear Mary…I love it when I see you have given us the devotion that day like today. I also am going through the book “100 Days of Strength in any Struggle” for the second time and I often see your stories in there. Your devotion today touched me in a very special way. I went through a season where I had multiple issues I was dealing with. At times I felt God was angry with me for some reason, but as I continued to read the (in)courage devotions and reading my books from you, one day a thought just popped into my head and I feel certain it was from my Holy Spirit being the conduit for God. The thought was, “Betsy, maybe you are not looking at this season from the right perspective.” As I continued to think of things that had happened to me that I didn’t understand at the time, another thing that I hadn’t thought of before came to mind. My Holy Spirit through God was telling me things that WERE messages from Him of how my issues could be solved. Your one sentence “If we pay attention, He will give us exactly what we need, exactly where we are”. No truer words have been spoken. God doesn’t have to speak boldly to us. We all need to pay attention to things happening around us as God does do things in what seems at the time, a very particular way. When I took that to heart, I realized that God was always there with me. I just did not recognize that it was Him. Well, I do now and have for the past 8 months. He has answered me and even though we have to wait a little longer than we would like. He will do something good on His timeline. Yesterday, 2 rather large problems that I was dealing with were resolved and I had been working on these for 6 months. As soon as this happened, I said, “Praise be to God, for never leaving my side. What a wonderful day!! Thank you Mary! See how odd this seems that your devotion today connected to my problems being “fixed” yesterday. As Hallmark movies would say, ” I think this was a God-Wink”. If anyone doesn’t know what that means, it is something that some may look at it as a coincidence, but it is not. It is a God-Wink or Divine Intervention and this has happened to me many times over the 78 years I have been on Earth. I send my love to you Mary for your sage words today and wish you a Blessed New Year !!………………….Betsy Basile
So I need to listen and be watchful, it sounds like. I need to be present in the moments, so I don’t miss the messages. Thank you, Mary! I hope your daughter is on the mend now.
Mary thank you writting today Devotional. I can relate to some of what you said. One Christmas I began to take seizures over 15 years ago out of no where. As women my monthly cycles were before it was due and during it were throwing me into seizures. My Husband was at his wits end why was this happening to me. It was because of heavy heavy bleeding. My Mum watch me in pain. Cried her eyes out and so did my Husband. I broke my heart to see them watch me not well. We went for tests and scans to see why this was happening and what was the root cause of it. Why now they said up until then I was ok. Then my one day I look at my late Mum and my Husband. Said it will be ok. My Mum said how will it. Something inside me told me God has it under control. God is with me in it all. But I couldn’t tell my Mum that as she was not saved. As she say if God has under control what you going through why instant God helping you especially when you need him now. Through it all I kept on trusting God no matter what. No matter what tests medication I needed. I still say this today. People say Dawn why has God not healed you. I say I don’t care if not healed this side of earth cause I know I will get healed in Glory with Jesus one day. I had said to my Husband there are people worse of than me. I don’t have cancer I ok. My Husband even though breaking his heart knew God was looking after me through everything. I was found out to have seizures caused because of your monthly cycles. The Doctor said they don’t know why or how it happens but it does for some women. Yes there were time in my life I did say why me why now in life. In the end to try stop all this I had to have hysterectomy. I found it not as bad as so women find it. I never wanted kids. So it didn’t bother me to have one. As long as I was going to get better and get rid of my periods that threw me into seizures each month. I gladly went for it. Today I don’t regret it at all 15 years ago Christmas day past when I took my first seizure it. I trusted God throughout it all. My Husband you know today still worrys about me but trust God for me at the same time and prays for me and my health. The day of the operation there was another woman in the waiting room as they were cleaning the rooms for us. She said it strange one minute your well and the next you take on well out of no were you can say why did it happen to me and I well and healthy now not. I had to agree with her. But after she said what she said this lady in the waiting room of the Hospital with me. I thought yes why not me it could be worse. God has me in his control I will be ok in the end because I have God. Today I the same. I don’t take as many seizures now. I trust God for everything for my life. It is surprising the way God’s speaks. God gave me Joshua 1:9 it says ” Have I not commanded you? Be strong and of good courage do not be afraid nor be dismayed for the Lord your God is with you wherever you Go” how true that is and for all of us. God with me in the difficult times and still is. I pray and thank God for that. As the songs say “One day at time sweet Jesus tomorrow may not be mine” that song teaches me to take one day at a time in sweet Jesus. Thank you got today Devotion Mary. It must have been like my late Mum and my Husband to see your Daughter in pain go through all she did. You as Mother you probably said why you probably wanted to take her pain for her. But couldn’t my Husband and my late Mum wanted too. They didn’t like to see me not well like you with your daughter I bet you broke your heart. You as Mum want to protect your kids. You want them to live a long good healthy life. Especially if saved in Jesus. When things like this happen you can panic say why is why my daughter. My Husband said that so did my late Mum. My Husband being saved not my late Mum prayed for me. God gave him a peace and the strength to be there for me. He knew through it all God was giving him the strength to cope. My late Mum I had to tell I will be ok and tell her not to worry. But only got God I’d not be were I am today. Love Dawn Ferguson-Little Enniskillen Co.Fermanagh N.Ireland. Xx
God gives us what we need.
Discipline and resist the devil especially when lird to or tempted.
Obey and we get the changes needed.
Thank you Jesus.
love this! and i love that you mentioned that He uses pop culture to speak to you. i’m so glad He knows EXACTLY what we need before we even ask Him (matt 6:8 nlt)
Thank you for this reminder. I used to hear Him speak to me the same way, in a song, a phrase , a word while watching tv. I really need to tune into His frequency.
Blessings