Written by Juliet Constantine, these devotionals share thoughts and blessings from on high to give you encouragement, wisdom, and strength to face life's many challenges. Juliet has authored two sets of devotionals: "At His Feet" and "Finding Jesus In The Scriptures". Select from all the devotionals below or choose a topic from the menus.
In your time of trouble, when all hope is gone, do not give upon speaking to your Lord in prayer. In your darkest hour, cry out to God. Even if you blame God for allowing the crucible, stay on your knees and pray on. I know it’s sometimes hard to pray when troubles comes. But like the children of Judah, keep your eyes on the Lord and pray. Only God can tear down mighty strongholds. Only God can keep the enemy ‘at bay’ and only God can give you rest from those who perplexed you. Like so many others, go to God in prayer and keep your eyes on Him. Be still! The battle is not yours, it’s the Lord’s.
And so we wait, groaning yet waiting, working yet waiting, occupying yet waiting, witnessing while waiting because we know, it will be any day now. Jesus will come again and make all things new. Everything that hurts or annoys will soon be no more. Patiently we wait for our home where changes never come. Things will be better one day, not on this Earth, but in the recreated Earth. There is still hope.
Our God, who is all-wise, knew before the foundation of the earth that man would fall. He made arrangements for Jesus to trade place with us. Our Father knew that our heredity tendencies would be sinful but we could be nurtured into righteousness. We can be nurtured (through teaching and loving) back to Him. So He sends Jesus to show us how. This is so assuring, it’s not who I am now but who I can become through Christ.
As you determined to retrain your mind to know and embrace your new space, the new route is now easy to remember. It’s no longer a struggle. So is it in your Christian walk. As you allow God’s word to do its work of sanctification in transforming your mind, your actions will fall in place. Your new perspective will result in behavioral change. Your desires and longings for those old practices will be gradually changed as you embrace the new person you’ve become.
Serpent wisdom needs to be tempered with dove harmlessness to keep us humble. To be harmless is to lack the power or desire to do harm; to be innocent of evil intention and motive, giving no provocation. Christian Author John McClain is convinced that doves, known as birds of peace, possessed calm temperaments coupled by their sweet disposition. I concur. Unlike serpents, people are normally not afraid of doves. Therefore, it is easier to get near to them when we possess dove traits. While the serpent will avoid and escape danger, the dove is innocent and will walk right into it. Jesus saw the need for us to have both traits, innocent to care and share, yet prudent enough not to be caged and become someone’s next meal.
Like David, God’s children live among men set on fire. Their hatred of Christians burned like fire in their hearts. They are malicious people who are like man-eating lions, carrying a whole armoury in their mouths to kill and destroy. Their destroying acts are sometimes so final - and to think that the tongue, sharpened on the devil’s grindstone, is more terrible than any weapon raised against God’s people. But we need not fear.
It is interesting to note that the Statue which symbolizes freedom throughout the world is now believed to be freedom only in America. Why so? Because the American people believe they are truly free and they act like it. Many people from all over the world (who are and/or think they are in bondage in their country) are desirous of entering “the land of the free and the home of the brave”. Many are still fleeing to this great country, even those who have been set free from the bondage of sin but not from its presence.
The storms in my life may not be over physically, but spiritually they are over. With the peaceful assurance that God is by my side, that He is holding my hand, I am comforted that He will see me through my storms. Just like the disciples at sea on a stormy night, the assurance that there’s nothing to fear with God by their side is even mine this morning. I do not need to be afraid of the challenges the day holds. God is with me and He has taken my hand. I will be okay irrespective of whatever may comes my way.
