A New Song in Me

He has put a new song in my mouth—Praise to our God; many will see it and fear, and will trust in the LORD. Psalm 40:3 (New King James Version)

I love it when God puts something new in any part of me…my mind, my mouth, my heart, my ears, my hands, my life! Several days ago, He gave me a tune for a song and the words have been formulating ever since. It capsules the truth of my journey thus far and exemplifies the praise I have for what He continues to do. Songs have a way of capturing our stories in a special way. Is it any wonder many are drawn toward the Psalms…David’s hymnal? No matter what I am going through, God has graciously allowed songs to be written and sung that speak powerfully to my heart and situation. I marvel each time that happens. May God encourage you through the words that flow from my heart to His ears!

I Turn to You

I turn to You,
When a precious one lies buried
and I know my life will never be the same.
I turn to You,
When the hands that I held on to
were called by You to simply walk away,
I turn to You with all my questions
When I don’t understand.
I turn to You with all the heartache
that my mind can’t comprehend.
I turn to You for my future
For I know it’s in Your hands.
I turn to You.


I come to You,
When the road I’m called to walk on
Gets lonely and I feel so out of place.
I come to You,
When my weaknesses and failures
Are once again in need of all Your grace.
I come to You for compassion
When my eyes are filled tears.
I come to You for forgiveness
When I’ve wasted all the years.
I come to You for assurance
When my heart is filled with fears.
I come to You.


I hear You, Lord,
When You speak Your Word so gently
To me, Your child, the one that You adore.
I hear You, Lord,
When You say that You forgive me
For the things I’ve hid behind my own heart’s door.
I hear You, Lord,
When You are speaking the words I need to hear.
I hear You, Lord,
When You answer in ways I count so dear.
I hear You, Lord,
When You tell me You want me to draw near.
I hear You, Lord.


I thank You Lord,
For the ways You choose to test me,
To show me what is really in my heart.
I thank You, Lord,
For the promise that You gave me,
That You and I will never have to part.
I thank You, Lord,
That with the sunshine You also send the rain.
I thank You, Lord,
For the comfort that follows all the pain.
I thank You, Lord,
For the healing that I will see again.
I thank You, Lord.
I thank You, Lord!

Pam Shattuck
December 22, 2008

sing for joy - Don Moen
http://youtube.com/watch?v=3MJ4VqfCRZI

He is wooing you from the jaws of distress to a spacious place free from restriction, to the comfort of your table laden with choice food. Job 36:16

His Word to Me

He said, If you listen carefully to the voice of the LORD your God and do what is right in his eyes, if you pay attention to his commands and keep all his decrees, I will not bring on you any of the diseases I brought on the Egyptians, for I am the LORD, who heals you. Exodus 15:26 (New International Version)

There are certain nuggets of truth that I need to allow God to engrave on the tablets of my heart and impress upon the walls of my mind. One of those nuggets is His title of Healer. Not just the Healer of nations and the Healer of another person’s life, but my Healer as well. I need to embrace this when I become over whelmed with places in me that still need healing. I need to verbalize this when I am tempted to give up. I need to repeat this to myself when there seem to be no other options than to just accept defeat.

This phrase, “I am the LORD who heals you” is a life line to me this morning. It is meant to anchor me with stability and safety. It is meant to keep my head above the waves on the sea of life. It is meant to be the reality I cling to in the midst of thoughts, feelings, and what my five senses experience. It is meant to assure me that He can do what I am unable to do.

One thing I have learned about healing of any kind….God will bring it about and it will take time. Maybe moments of time, decades, or a life time, but it will come. My part? Keep my ears open to His voice. Pay close attention to His daily directives. Walk in obedience to His direction and guidance. Failure to do so hinders my own progress and healing. Yet, I have come to realize that even in these areas I need His help. I need Him to develop in me listening ears, an attentive heart, and willing obedience.

I would love to say I get it right all the time but I know otherwise as do those who know me best. As does my heavenly Father. I drink in His words at a time when failure, floundering, and falling have been apparent. When my own weaknesses are blatantly apparent. When fears abound and hopelessness threatens to darken my path. In the midst of it all, He persists with His loving reminder that He is my Healer. He is my Helper. He is my All.

Father, You give me hope when I am hopeless, strength when I am weak, and clarity when I am confused. Remold this broken vessel into a masterpiece of beauty and dignity. Amen.

You Are My All in All - Michael W. Smith
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YVVW5EakyEc&feature=related

I welcome your questions and comments to any devotional thoughts. I am honored and delighted to share my journey with you and privileged to hear of yours.

Seeing Truth in Disappointment

To You they cried out and were delivered; in You they trusted and were not disappointed. Psalm 22:5 (New American Standard Bible)

Where we turn in our moments of disappointment is a matter of life and deliverance. I don’t like to be disappointed. Does anyone? Yet, disappointment marks not only our life but our daily path. Setting our heart on something and not having it happen when we want it to happen can result in the feeling of disappointment. I often cringe at that aspect of myself. I want to be at the place where something can happen and I fully accept it with joy. God is letting me know I am once again viewing the feelings of disappointment as wrong. In His gentle way He is letting me know that disappointment is an acceptable emotion to the let downs of life, just as bleeding is a normal result of being cut. Feeling disappointed is NOT the problem. The problem is what I begin to think and believe about myself and others when the disappointment comes.

There use to be a whole list of lies that I would dwell on and believe. Lies like, I don’t matter, it wasn’t a priority for them, no one cares, others are more important, nothing good ever comes of expectations, and so forth. It was a time of self loathing as well as condemnation of others. It would lead me to draw the conclusion that if I stopped expecting anything then I would be able to safe guard myself from ever experiencing disappointment again. I am here to tell you, THAT is no way to live.

God has a better way for me to respond to the times when relationships change, plans change, opportunities close, or things just don’t work out the way I want them to. He invites me to embrace the truth of His sovereignty. He wants me to see His hand in all of the happenings of my life. His timing is perfect. His plans are fulfilled. His ways come about. My disappointments are His appointments. It is not a matter of just thinking happy thoughts. It is the necessity of knowing, seeing, and living out of the truth of God’s involvement in my life.

When the disappointments of life happen, sadness is acceptable, tears may fall, and a quietness may settle over me. But in the midst of it all I must allow Him to once again speak truth to my heart. I must see and believe the truth of what is happening instead of allowing me or the enemy to come up with a list of lies and distortions. Peace comes when I see every detail of my life as important to God. Joy comes as I allow God to develop in me a childlike trust in Him. To see a change of plans as His way of surprising me with other options and opportunities.

Many times, what I am disappointed in will happen eventually, but even if it doesn’t He is still in control, still on the throne, and still acting out of a heart of love. I live in that truth today.

Father, keep showing me where the problems really lie. Use every circumstance of life to teach me valuable lessons about You and me. Amen.

Kathy Troccoli sings "My Life Is In Your Hands"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VlmYxZAgrGI

He is wooing you from the jaws of distress to a spacious place free from restriction, to the comfort of your table laden with choice food. Job 36:16

Restoring What Has Been Damaged

And I will restore to you the years that the locust hath eaten, the cankerworm, and the caterpillar, and the palmerworm, my great army which I sent among you. Joel 2:25 (King James Version)

One of my favorite Bible tools is the dictionary because it helps to shed light on a word I may not have a full picture of. Such was the case with the word restore. It means “to put or bring back into existence or use; to bring back to or put back into a former or original state; and to put again in possession of something.” None of that is necessary unless something has been damaged, lost, taken, or injured.

God is ready, willing, and able to show us what needs to be restored in our life. To show us what has been “eaten” by the locust of circumstances or people. Understand that behind it all is the enemy of our souls for he is the one who comes to destroy and devour us at every turn. We often times can only see the tools and individuals he is using but it is imperative that we realize his hand is in the ruin and havoc.

This morning I am thinking of the things that need to be restored, not only in my life but in the lives of those who will read this devotional. It could be the locust of our life has eaten our sense of something that use to come so easily for us. Those who have had their homes broken into often say along with the possessions the person took my sense of feeling safe in my own home. Those who were sexually violated or exploited live with the loss of feeling pure or clean. Acts of betrayal, rejection, or sabotage have left some with the inability to trust others in future relationships. Those who have been ridiculed or slandered may no longer possess a sense of confidence and strength. Those who felt the pain of failure or loss may no longer have a desire to venture out into the unknown. Whatever the case may be, if there is a sense of loss or the feeling that what has been destroyed will never mark my path again, God will show me where that incident took place, what affect it had on me, and the promise that He will restore it.

I cling to that promise today, for I am fully aware of what the locust has eaten in my own life and the result of it. Now I open my arms and my heart to the restoration that only God can bring about.

Father, restore that which has been shattered in my life, so that it no longer affects my relationships. The end of my story is still be written by You. Amen.

Fearless Heart - Point of Grace
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DljiOolx3j0&feature=related

There are now over 800 previous devotionals housed on this blog site. Read them according to date, theme or book of the Bible. Copy them for a personal notebook. Share them with others. Enjoy!

How to Change the View

A good tree cannot produce bad fruit, nor can a bad tree produce good fruit. Matthew 7:18 (New American Standard Bible)

For years, I could only read Scripture with a limited range of what it was saying. In today’s verse, Jesus was speaking of the false prophets of His day and giving people a way of protecting themselves from the influence of such. That is necessary for us today as well. It is vital that we sit under those who know and speak the truth about God. If that is the only thing I take from this verse I am the wiser for it, but God’s Word is not meant to only be interpreted as such. It is also meant to come alive and meet us where we are at in the moment.

This morning, today’s verse speaks volumes to me when it comes to my thoughts….particularly my perceptions of others and how I “think” they view me. If my thoughts are filled with suspicion toward them and tainted by my own insecurities the result of those thoughts will not be good. I will misread their facial expressions, misinterpret what they say or don’t say, and draw conclusions that lead to an uneasy spirit within myself. What normally would be lively, fun filled moments quickly become uncomfortable and strained at best. From that point on, everything they say or do becomes “proof” of what I believe to be true. I can tell the exact moment peace and joy have left and darkness has entered. It is a vicious cycle that has actually become a stronghold in my life. This morning, God is letting me know once again how to demolish it! Change my thoughts! Derive the good fruit that can come from giving others the benefit of the doubt and walking in an attitude of love, forgiveness, and freedom.

I see that so clearly right now, sitting in the quietness of my home with just me, God, and His Word. The truth of what God is saying is getting into my heart. Yet the test of how it will affect me is going to be the next time I am face to face with someone and perceptions begin to make their way into my mental gallery of thoughts. When distorted portraits begin to be displayed on the walls of my mind will I believe what I “see” or will I remove them with a rebuke and live in the freedom of uncluttered thinking? I have a choice in the matter and too often I dust and straighten the pictures instead of removing them. The longer I dwell upon what is false the stronger its grip will be. The pull of that grip can also be weakened and that is the realization and hope God wants me to embrace.

Father, how You must ache to see me lose battles that don’t have to be lost. Help me to fight when I so easily want to yield. Amen.

All to Jesus I Surrender
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7x2IpLSfqp8&feature=related

I welcome your questions and comments to any devotional thoughts. I am honored and delighted to share my journey with you and privileged to hear of yours.

Created and Recreated

Then God said, "Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; and let them rule over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the sky and over the cattle and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth." Genesis 1:26 (New American Standard Bible)

One of the aspects of being created in God’s image is that we are triune in nature. That means we are made up of three parts…body (physical), soul (emotional), and spirit (spiritual). Along with those components we were created for a purpose. We struggle to fully live out that purpose when one or all of our being is not whole and healthy.

A little over a year ago, I was in trouble in all three areas of my life. Physically I was obese with a life style of making unhealthy food choices. Emotionally I was dependent upon a significant person and bottomed out when all ties were severed. Spiritually I was more in tune to listening to what others said about God than what God was saying to me. Although I could write devotionals with ease, internally I was on shaky ground. Over the course of this past year, God has graciously worked on all three areas.

My physical transformation began when I joined Weight Watchers five months ago. I learned not only what to eat but how to properly view food. One benefit that came from that was a loss of 50 pounds. I feel better than I have felt in decades.

My emotional transformation began when my pastor’s wife saw my struggles and offered to be in an accountability partnership with me. Her listening ear, discerning spirit, wise words, and desire to see me emotionally free have been God’s primary means of healing for me. As we presently do a study through a book on emotional wholeness the fog is beginning to clear and the emotional strength is coming.

My spiritual transformation has been in learning to hear God’s voice more clearly through His Word, prayer, music, and the every day happenings of life. The mutual communication, contact, and connection that we share is both profound and powerful.

Although there is still much to be done in me, I am NOT the same person I was last year at this time. I can see the differences and I am living life more fully out of those differences. To God be the glory!

Father, I doubted I would ever see days like this. What You have done in the last year leaves me in wonder and amazement of You. I look forward to Your continued touch in the coming new year. Amen.

With All I Am - Hillsong
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FMrAafe7Mns&feature=related

He is wooing you from the jaws of distress to a spacious place free from restriction, to the comfort of your table laden with choice food. Job 36:16

The Preservation of My Spirit

You have granted me life and loving kindness; and Your care has preserved my spirit. Job 10:12 (New American Standard Bible)

One of the aspects of God’s loving kindness and watch care over us as His children is the preservation our spirit. To guard it, protect it, and keep it safe. In the midst of hurt, disappointment, troubles, or loss…when the bottom of life seems to fall out from underneath our feet….when life’s worst circumstances make their way into our once peaceful abode, He is faithfully and lovingly keeping our spirit alive and intact. That part of us that seeks after God, that desires fellowship with God, and that longs to know Him continues to pulsate with life even when our heart is breaking or our mind is in turmoil. It is as constant as the beating of our heart.

So how can we tell our spirit is being preserved? We are still open to God and His ways. Turning our back on Him and walking away is not our intent or experience. We are looking to Him for direction and comfort. We continue to stand on the foundational truths of His Word. We remain teachable to the things He wants us to know and learn. Over time we see the growth in our life that has come about by the very thing we thought would do us in.

Often though, we mistakenly think that because we shed tears, ask why, experience a full range of emotions, feel internally at odds, and walk with a heavy heart and mind that our spirit has not been preserved. That is not the case! Just as we will bleed if we are cut, the problems and difficulties of life will hurt. God is not surprised by our pain. He knows how deeply it hurts or scares us but He also knows what He will use to bring us out on to the other side of whatever we are walking through. He is holding on to us even when our own grip is weakening.

My heart’s desire is to come away from whatever God’s causes or allows in my life with more knowledge of Him, more trust in Him, more awareness of Him, and more love for Him than I had before the storm broke. That is a part of the preservation of my spirit. Who but God could do such a thing? Who but God would even think of it?

I don’t always get it right but He does. He is passionate about bringing me through this life molded into the image of His Son…complete, whole, and mature in Him. I trust Him for the process, timing, and accomplishment of it all.

Father, You keep astounding me at every turn. Amen.

You're Still God - Kathy Troccoli
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CvclzwpAMxg

There are now over 800 previous devotionals housed on this blog site. Read them according to date, theme or book of the Bible. Copy them for a personal notebook. Share them with others. Enjoy!