“O taste and see that the LORD is good; How blessed is the man who takes refuge in Him!” Psalm 34:8
In our dark world, we are always looking for goodness. Do you know where to find it?
The Scriptures display who God is. God is good. Not merely because He does good; He is good. All good things in life are so because they reflect He who is good. He extends His goodness towards His people through love, kindness, grace, and mercy. His power, strength, and authority comfort us because they are not separate from His goodness.
God calls believers to taste and see His goodness—not simply to taste and see, but to experience it. To do this, we dwell on the truth of who He is, think deeply about Him, search the Scriptures and our own lives for His goodness exposed, and take refuge in Him—our great and good God. We plant ourselves in the truth of who God is, and we find safety and security there.
We find blessing. We’re not talking about material things here—health, wealth, and happiness. We can be blessed people who may also be sick, poor, and grieving because God is always good even when our circumstances aren’t. What we need most is Him. We need God. His blessing towards us is just that—it’s His presence. Our great and good God longs to be with us and provides a way for that to be possible.
Search the Scriptures for the truths of God because you will come to know, love, and trust Him there. Delight in Him, and you’ll find your safe and secure home. Take refuge in His goodness, and God will be with you.
For a helpful resource for focusing your mind on the truths of God, check out Brittany’s Scripture-led prayer journal—Great and Good: 50 Scriptures Reflecting God’s Character to Guide Intentional Prayer. Available on Amazon.
I come from a long line of criers – and if you know then you know.
When I was little, we would go visit my grandparents in Dallas. Each time before we left, our family would circle up and pray. And every single time Grandma Cook and my mom would cry.
I never understood it. In fact, my sisters and I would tease them every single time.
Fast forward 30 some odd years and here I am – the family cryer. I’m not the only one, but I’m not gonna put the sisters on blast in this here devotional.
It’s been a year of change in Marino-Ville. I have a son that got engaged, moved out, got married, and graduated college. Say that five times fast.
As if that weren’t enough on this ol’ mom’s heart, I now also have a daughter that turned 16 and will no longer need my services as an unpaid Uber driver.
Did I cry the last day I drove her to school? You bet your bottom dollar. Did I cry when she took off for the first time solo – do I even need to answer that? 🤣
The fact that all of these things are seriously so good and I am seriously so proud does not make it any easier.
Change is good, but change is hard.
Moms of young kiddos – root yourself in Jesus. Put your identity in Jesus.
Because after all, you are His.
When they’re young.
When they’re old.
When they’re learning to ride a bike.
When they’re learning to drive a car.
When they let go of your hand and grab their spouses – you are His.
And they need you to be rooted in Him. They need your strength to be His. They need your joy to be His.
January 2025 – A brand new year has arrived! As 2024 fades in our rearview mirrors, we may find ourselves pausing to do a “year in review”. That may include revisiting reels that showcase our highlight moments or considering the gains and losses we encountered along the way. In a similar way, we find a scene in the book of Deuteronomy where Moses is leading the Israelites through their own reflection of their 40-year wilderness journey. They are preparing to step into a new chapter of their story. I can only imagine how the Israelites must have felt standing on the edge of The Promised Land- filled with anticipation and probably feelings of uncertainity about their future. Yes, it was a moment of moving forward, but it was also a time to pause and look back at how God had brought them this far.
Moses gathers the nation and reminds them: “You have seen with your own eyes everything the Lord did in the land of Egypt to Pharaoh and to all his servants and to his whole country—all the great tests of strength, the miraculous signs, and the amazing wonders… For forty years I led you through the wilderness, yet your clothes and sandals did not wear out. You ate no bread and drank no wine or other alcoholic drink, but he provided for you so you would know that he is the Lord your God” (Deuteronomy 29:2-6). Moses reminded them of God’s provision- the manna in the wilderness, the water in dry places, and protection on every side from every enemy. Like in Psalm 77:11, they could declare-“But then I recall all you have done, O Lord; I remember your wonderful deeds of long ago”.
Some of us might be saying, “Goodbye and good riddance 2024! You were a tough one”. “We are pressed on every side by troubles, but we are not crushed. We are perplexed, but not driven to despair. We are hunted down, but never abandoned by God. We get knocked down, but we are not destroyed. “ Corinthians 4:8-10 Yet, in the middle of these challenges, God has been present. Maybe He brought peace during some uncertain times, healing for moments of brokenness, or joy through unexpected blessings.
As we begin our own new chapters, let us recall all that we have “seen with our own eyes”. Take another glance back and behold “all the wonderful deeds”- the provision for our needs, the answered prayers, how He sustained us in ways we may not have even noticed at the time. May you and I grow in our trust in God’s unchanging faithfulness and move confidently into this new year.
I’m going to go ahead and put it out there…. It’s the first Monday of the year. This is the day when many start their resolutions/new habits/personal goals, whatever you want to call them.
No worries if you haven’t thought of something to accomplish. I want to show you what God showed me in my favorite passage of scripture.
When you have time go read John 17, but right now I’m going to paraphrase the entire chapter. In John 17:1-5 Jesus is talking to God about accomplishing His crucifixion. In John 17:6-19 Jesus is talking to the Father about the disciples who were physically walking with Him during that time. He wanted them protected as He had poured Himself into them, and they were to go out and spread The Gospel.
Then you get to John 17:20-26, and this is the part of the passage that makes it my favorite. Jesus prayed to the Father for all future disciples. If you’ve accepted Him as your Savior, this scripture is talking about you and me!
I hope you feel the same excitement I feel every time I read that; however, this is where God showed me something new.
Many of you may have prayer journals and some may have just purchased one to use during this year. The goal is generally to look back on these prayers and see what has been answered. I’m sure it’s exciting to find what has been answered and what still needs time. God has answered so many of my prayers and I’m so thankful for each answer. I’m sure you can say the same.
BUT… “How are you being an answer to Jesus’s prayer?”
You can take a moment to think about it, but I encourage you to allow this to be a question you ask yourself throughout all your remaining years, not just the beginning of 2025.
The greatest commission is for us to spread The Gospel. His Gospel. His Living Word. How are we doing it?
It’s something to contemplate. I have had this question turn over in my head over and over since God brought it to my attention.
I’ve got to spread His Word. In order to spread His Word I have to live His Word. In order to live His Word I have to read His Word.
As the new year comes along, some people get stressed and overwhelmed with the holidays, and plannings, and changes, but little do people realize that these things we come across are blessings in disguise!
2 Corinthians 9:8 – And God is able to make all grace abound toward you; that ye, always having all sufficiency in all things, may abound to every good work.
Sometimes we look at challenges and changes in a negative outlook, when we often should be thankful for these things that are happening. When going through the “negativity” of this, we should have a positive mindset to trust in Him as we are going through it, and look at it as a blessing. Sometimes this can be a difficult thing to look at, especially towards the end of the year.
As followers of Him, we should reflect on the past, and be thankful and blessed for the things we have, learn and grow from them, and count our blessings!
This past year I have had many changes. At times I have been negative about things taking a turn, as I should have looked at these changes in a positive way, and looked at the brighter side of what God was actually doing in my life!
With the new year, I encourage us all to look at these things as blessings in disguise, instead of in a negative way! God always has a plan for us all, even if sometimes it is unexpected and often takes us down a different path than what we planned. To trust in Him is what we need to do! Always reminisce on our “blessings in disguise” and be grateful for what God has in store for us with the new year!! 🤍🤍
You will find blessings, blessings in disguise when you walk in His divine will according to Romans 8:28: And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.
I give all credit to my mom, Rachelle Hardin, for reminding me of this daily 🤍
“The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; His mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. (Lamentations 3:22-23)
As we step into a new year, we are often filled with a mix of emotions. Hope for what is to come, gratefulness of the Lord’s blessings, and maybe some nagging regret or worry. The good news is, no matter what this past year held, God’s love and mercy remain steadfast. His faithfulness gives us a fresh start, not just on the day of a new year, but every single morning.
In the book of Lamentations, the people of Jerusalem were experiencing deep sorrow and loss, but even in the midst of pain, they recognized the Lord’s compassion. This serves as a reminder that God’s love is not dependent on our circumstances. His love is constant. In our struggles. In our challenges. In every step of life.
This January 1st, reflect on the truth that God’s love protects us, guides us, and renews us. We don’t have to carry yesterday’s burdens into today. As we face this new year, we can do so with confidence as we know the Lord will carry us through every trial and victory. Find rest in His unchanging love, and step into this new season knowing that God goes before you and will walk by your side in every moment.
It’s the new year, so you know what that means: New Year’s Resolutions! You know, those things we make every year to do or be something more or better and give up after just a couple months. I asked myself, “Just what is a resolution?” According to the Cambridge dictionary, a resolution is a promise to yourself to do or not to do something. With this being the start of a new year, I decided to look up around which topics we as a country tend to create our resolutions. For the past five years, our top resolutions have been centered around health, our eating habits, exercise, water intake etc. And while this did not show up on any of the multiple lists I checked, I would posit that within Christianity, we also tend to make resolutions about reading our Bibles more as well as spending more private time with Jesus.
If we assess ourselves honestly, we can agree that we have all broken our promises (resolutions) to ourselves time and again. We’re ok with making resolutions, but we never determine to be resolute. What is resolute? The Cambridge dictionary states that it is to be determined in character, action or ideas, working to achieve a goal even if it is difficult. See, we’re ok with making a promise but never determine to see it through past the moments of difficulty. It’s why gym memberships become forgotten, marriages end in divorce, and our Bibles end up gathering dust instead of creating disciples.
Do you know the number one excuse for failed resolutions? Life got in the way.
We have become a people that allow our lives to determine our time with Jesus rather than allowing our time with Jesus to determine our lives. Our Bibles end up in the same graveyard as our gym memberships, because we allow things to happen rather than making things happen. Jim Rohn once said, “If you really want to do something, you’ll find a way. If not, you’ll find an excuse,” and it’s true.
Jesus showed us with Peter that we don’t have to be tossed on the waves, we can walk on top of them, so this new year don’t just make resolutions. Be resolute. Don’t let life determine what you do or who you are. Let what you do and who you are determine your life. Live life on purpose. With purpose.
“Then the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen, as it was told them.” (Luke 2:20, NKJV)
The night began like any other. It is just like God to do the supernatural in everyday, natural things, right?! Shepherds were out in the fields, tending sheep under a star-lit sky. Humble and often overlooked men became the first to hear the announcement of Jesus’ birth!
Terrified and awestruck, they saw the glory of the Lord light up the night as an angel declared, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to ALL people” (Luke 2:10). The Savior had come, not to a palace, but to a humble manger.
Without hesitation, the shepherds left their sheep and went to Bethlehem. They found Mary, Joseph, and baby Jesus just as the angel said. Their encounter with the newborn King transformed them. Overflowing with joy, they glorified God and shared the good news with everyone they met.
The shepherds remind us that this GOOD NEWS is for ALL people, regardless of status or background. Their joy did not come from circumstances but from the truth that the Savior of the world had come.
This Christmas, let the shepherds’ story challenge us! Do we eagerly seek Jesus, or do we hesitate? Does His presence fill us with joy? Are we intentionally sharing that joy with others? May we, like the shepherds, live with hearts overflowing, glorifying God, and spreading the light and hope of Jesus wherever we go.
When you think about Christmas, which parts of the Bible are your favorite? Luke and Matthew definitely top the list with their beautiful narratives. Maybe you think of the prophecies in the Old Testament that foretell the coming of the Messiah like Isaiah or Malachi? But what about the book of Revelation? If you’re like me, that book is scary and confusing and it’s NOT the first place I think of when I think about Christmas! However, over the last few months, I participated in a Bible study on the book of Revelation that has me thinking about the links between Revelation and Christmas. I’d like to encourage you to open up to the back of your Bible and spend some time in Revelation thinking about what it teaches about the character of God through wonder, warning, and worship.
First of all, the Christmas story is full of miraculous things! We must guard against a kind of boredom with the familiar story- the angelic messengers, the virgin birth, the visits of the three foreigners. These happenings should make us WONDER at the majesty and glory of God. He is revealing things about HIS character to us through these events. The second coming of the Messiah definitely causes WONDER too! Take a look at Revelation 21:9-22:21. This section describes the “wife of the Lamb…the holy city, Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, arrayed with God’s glory. Her radiance was like a precious jewel, like a jasper stone, clear as crystal.” Revelation 21:9-11 Cleary, God’s ways are not our ways. Just like the Christmas story, Revelation continues to show us HE is transcendent, glorious and honestly, a little incomprehensible to our feeble human minds.
Next, examining Revelation at Christmas should give us a WARNING to share the Gospel urgently with a sick and dying world. From the letters, to the seals, to the trumpets, to the histories, to the bowls, to the words of woe, the theme of judgment radiates through the book of Revelation. This section makes me ask myself really hard questions like:
Who around me doesn’t know Jesus as the Savior?
Who is drowning in sin and looking for help?
Who needs help getting back on track to grow in their faith and relationship with God?
These are highly personal questions that we (me!) sometimes shy away from as being too personal or too judgy. But, I don’t want any of my friends or loved ones to be fooled by the Evil One and be “gathered as grapes from the vineyard of the earth” and be thrown “into the great winepress of God’s wrath.” Revelation 14:19 The theme of judgement repeats over and over again in Revelation. It too shows us something about God’s character- HE is holy and just. If we believe that Jesus’ first coming was prophesied, then we need to believe the prophecies regarding his second coming too and act prayerfully.
Lastly, examining Revelation at Christmas shows us how God and Jesus are WORSHIPPED in heaven and at the second coming. The phrase “fall down and worship” is repeated twelve times in the book of Revelation. Chapter 4 of Revelation gives a great description about the throne room of heaven- a majestic place filled with thunder and lightning, fiery torches, and a sea of glass. This description shows us something about God’s character too. HE is infinite, eternal, and holy. The twenty-four elders praise HIM by saying in Revelation 4:11, “Our Lord and God, you are worthy to receive glory and honor and power, because you have created all things, and by your will they exist and were created.” What an excellent example to praise HIM at Christmas and all through the year!
So, y’all don’t be scared of that last book in the Bible. Open it up and draw nearer to the Holy One who not only came at Christmas, but is coming back again!
Imagine how Mary felt in the moment. The moment she was told by a *literal* angel that she is pregnant with a baby… named Jesus… the Messiah and Son of God. Mind you, she was still a young virgin and not yet married at this time either. Her first instinct may have been fear or even disbelief. She is told by the angel, “Do not be afraid Mary, for you have found favor with God” (Luke 1:30). Mary is chosen by God’s grace and being utilized to carry out His plan. She is reminded, “For nothing will be impossible with God” (Luke 1:37). Mary decides to submit to the Lord and accept the circumstances given to her. As we know, this is just the beginning of the story.
Many of us have heard the Christmas story hundreds of times over the years. The most important detail of this story is the birth of Jesus, the divine King. However, we can also see such a clear example of God’s sovereignty and power through Mary’s pregnancy. This news was certainly a shock, but Mary decided to trust God and His greater plan. Have you ever received life altering news? How did you handle it? Our lives can take an unexpected turn at any given minute. We may not always see the good in our circumstances and question why God would allow such difficulties. Mary’s reputation along with her relationship to her betrothed, Joseph, were at risk due to being pregnant before marriage. Yet, the angel told her that she was blessed with the privilege of bearing the Son of God.
Sometimes we are given situations that are totally out of our control, but God is at work. God is using you to fulfill His purpose and plan, whether you see it or not. The Lord sent Jesus Christ to die on the cross so that you can have life on earth and in heaven if you accept Him as your savior. Life will have ups and downs regardless of who you are. Cherish those blessings and trust in the Lord’s plan because it is much greater than our own. The Christmas season is filled with so much joy; use that joy to share the whole story and the bigger picture.
Rays of Sunshine inc 