Chosen by God: Letting go of Rejection

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Chosen by God: Letting go of Rejection

I’m honored to be a contributor at the Gather at Dawn blog and app this week. You can read an excerpt below and follow the link to read the full devotion.

Rejection is hard to endure.

Standing on the playground, I drew swirly patterns in the dirt with my foot, carefully avoiding eye contact with my classmates. It was the same scene, year after year. Because my athletic skills were non-existent, I was among the last to be selected for their softballs teams, and it was painful to be overlooked time and time again.

Although I waited in the dirt many years ago, rejection has cycled in and out of my life.

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Trusting God's Guidance in the Darkness

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Trusting God's Guidance in the Darkness

He leads me in paths of righteousness
for his name's sake.

Psalm 23:3b ESV

I had no idea where I was or where I was going.

Darkness enveloped me, and the glimmer of my car’s headlights did little to help me see. My grip tightened around the steering wheel as I slowly wound higher up the mountainside. The tires periodically slipped on the remaining patches of ice from the recent storm, and I practiced slow, deep breathing as I searched for any signs of familiarity.

Somewhere in the darkness, I had missed the turn leading home. “Lord, please help me,” I whispered after the road increasingly narrowed upward. With no place to turn around, I stilled my nerves and begged God for guidance. The only way to go was forward, so I steadied my foot on the gas pedal.

Just like that winter night long ago, there have been many times in life where I’ve found myself in similar circumstances, unsure of what was ahead and feeling like I was fumbling in the dark. In every one of those places––long years of chronic illness, grief, financial struggles, and uncertainty––I found myself wondering what God was doing.

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When God Makes the Impossible Possible

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When God Makes the Impossible Possible

“For nothing will be impossible with God.”

Luke 1:37 ESV 

My leg muscles burned more intensely on the last two steps. After walking up three flights of stairs with bags of groceries strapped across each shoulder, I breathed a sigh of relief as I turned around to look at where I had come from––literally and figuratively. God had surely made the impossible possible.

If I had been told in years past that one day, I would live in a third-floor apartment and easily take the stairs to reach it, I would have said that’s impossible. For years, chronic illness kept me homebound and dependent on others to complete basic tasks like grocery shopping, cooking, and cleaning. The couch was the cocoon that held my body full of pain and weighed down in fatigue.

Although we may face situations that seem impossible, the Bible is clear that our God is a God who can bring about great things from impossible situations.

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16 Biblical Affirmations for the New Year

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16 Biblical Affirmations for the New Year

The heart of man plans his way,
but the Lord establishes his steps.

Proverbs 16:9 ESV

There’s a false narrative ringing throughout our culture.

We’re told that we can muster up strength in ourselves, attract love, and use the power of positive thinking to bring wealth, health, and happiness to our souls. But believing these lies only leads to disappointment, defeat, and despair.

The truth is: our humanity is broken.

I’ve lived long enough to realize that I am nothing––and I can do nothing––apart from Christ. Thankfully, I don’t have to face one day alone or rely on my own resources. God is with me, and He will help me make it through whatever comes my way.

As we embark on the journey through 31,536,000 seconds this new year, I’ve compiled a list of biblical affirmations to help us face any situation that arises. There may be fear, discouragement, disappointment, uncertainty, weariness, and insecurity. But we can focus on who our God is, what He’s doing, and what He will do for us. Surely, we will overcome with Him.

Here are 16 Biblical Affirmations to stand on in this New Year:

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The Weary World Rejoices

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The Weary World Rejoices

Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.”

Luke 2:10-11 ESV

Heavy clouds burst from the weight of their moisture, and I hear the splattering of steady raindrops. Outside my window, gray has settled across the atmosphere. Yet as I scan the horizon, flickering tiny lights catch my attention. My neighbor has adorned her balcony with Christmas lights. In the middle of my weariness, my heart remembers that there is a reason for great joy.

When rainy days loom, it’s not too difficult to hold on to hope. We’ve experienced enough cloudy hours to know the sun always shines again. But it’s not easy to cling to hope when darkness infiltrates our hearts and trouble enters our lives. I’ll admit, it’s a real struggle for me to bask in joy when the world around me is crumbling beneath my feet. We all know those times––whether it be illness, loss, rejection, or long days with unanswered prayers.

Perhaps God’s people felt that way before the birth of Christ



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A Reminder from the Birds to Trust God

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A Reminder from the Birds to Trust God

Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns,

and yet your heavenly Father feeds them.

Are you not much more valuable than they?

Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life?

Matthew 6:26-27 NIV

Hearing the bird’s chirping outside my window shook me out of my sleep. Its song rose in symphony as it drawled out the lows and climbed through the highs of its melody. Pulling the covers to my chin, I attempted to return to sleep to no avail. I was drawn to the fact that there was still complete darkness shadowing the morning sun. It seemed a little early for so much excitement.

Then the scriptures in Matthew echoed in my mind: Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life? I wondered if the bird was singing in expectation of the sun’s appearance? Was this tiny creature resting in the promise that the sun would surely rise, and the Creator would meet each need the day presented?

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3 Things to Remember to Inspire a Heart of Thanksgiving

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3 Things to Remember to Inspire a Heart of Thanksgiving

Give thanks in all circumstances;

for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.

1 Thessalonians 5:18 ESV


“Am I supposed to thank God for this?” I clasped my hands into a fist as I stared back into my counselor’s wise eyes.

“No. You don’t have to thank God for the storm. But you can thank Him for who He is in the storm.” Her quick reply immediately set my upside-down perspective upright again.

Weeks before this encounter, flood waters from a passing hurricane left damage to my home. It was the last catastrophe on a list of tragedies that occurred in my life during that season. And “broken” is the only word that describes how I felt that day years ago. Words of thanksgiving and praise were not on my lips, and they were a galaxy away from my heart.

Sometimes it is difficult to be thankful when we’re hurting. Our thoughts war against offering praise to God when our lives are seemingly falling apart. But as challenging as it is––offering thanksgiving and praise––open the doorway to victory for a heart burdened by worry, fear, and defeat.

So how do we give thanks in the hardest times? Here are three things to remember when it’s difficult to praise:

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The Promise of Beauty for Every Season

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The Promise of Beauty for Every Season

For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven.

Ecclesiastes 3:1 ESV

The crunching and swooshing of freshly fallen leaves under my feet prompt me to look down. I reach for one single leaf and twirl it around and around in my hand. My eyes focus on its vibrant colors and I'm amazed at how the deep red, yellow, and orange seamlessly bleed into one another. The pattern for the leaf’s shift from a green Summer leaf to a colorful Fall leaf contains no real definition.

Staring at the beauty of this dying leaf, my gaze drifts to my hand effortlessly holding it. I take note of the creases and lines that are increasingly prevalent on my skin. Aging is taking place in tiny increments, and now that I am rounding the curve to 50, I’m acutely aware of its signs.

The Teacher’s words in Ecclesiastes echo in my mind: For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven. And I’m reminded of the constant change taking place in this life––the shifting from one season to the next. Some are hard seasons of illness, grief, loss, or financial struggles. Yet others are filled with laughter, joy, success, and fulfillment.

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How Turning to Jesus Banishes Fear

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How Turning to Jesus Banishes Fear

For God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control.

2 Timothy 1:7 ESV

Fear is a constant battle for me.

I heard someone say, “What you stare at becomes bigger.” I nodded in agreement. It’s hard not to feed fear when all I see are the ways a situation can go wrong. That’s when I resort to planning and manipulating in an effort to control the situation. I convince myself that it’s up to me to avoid disaster. And sometimes I will take myself out of the scenario completely. I sit on the sidelines and watch others do life, and I ultimately miss out.

When I was in grammar school, my classmates and I would regularly gather on the playground for a game of softball. I was careful to never take a position that required expertise because to say I was a terrible player is an understatement. Sauntering to the outfield, I would get out as far as possible hoping to avoid participation. But inevitably, the ball miraculously found its way straight to me.

“Catch it! Catch it!” my teammates yelled. And just when I reached for the ball, all I could focus on was how it became more and more massive upon its approach. It’s going to hit me. Land on the top of my head. Knock me out. And leave a mountain-sized lump. Thoughts swirled in my mind. And as fear overtook me, I shut my eyes and ducked out of the ball's path.

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You Can Trust the Potter's Hand

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You Can Trust the Potter's Hand

“Like clay in the hand of the potter, so are you in my hand.”

Jeremiah 18:6b NIV

I entered my first pottery class with nervous excitement. After carefully choosing a misshapen ball of moist clay, I heard the instructor’s directions, “You have to throw the clay hard onto the wheel to make it stick.” Hesitatingly, I dropped the clay and as soon as the wheel began to turn, the ball slid from side-to-side. It was unpliable in its present state. My foot released the pedal and the wheel slowly stopped. I reattempted my beginning. This time, I slung the clay onto the surface with force and made solid contact with the center of the wheel.

In Jeremiah, God describes Himself as the Potter and His people as the clay.

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5 Ways to Cultivate Biblical Hope

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5 Ways to Cultivate Biblical Hope

We all experience situations when it’s hard to keep hoping. What ifs? How to’s? And Why’s?, flood our minds. Visions of possible catastrophe dance before our eyes. Hope plummets with every ticking second.

I’ve learned some things through the darkest seasons that I would never know had God not allowed me to walk there. And my faith was sustained by God’s grace by putting these five things into practice.

Here are 5 ways to keep hoping when hope is waning:

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God's Memory Book

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God's Memory Book

The Lord paid attention and heard them, and a book of remembrance 

was written before him of those who feared the Lord and esteemed his name.

Malachi 3:16b ESV

One summer I spent hours sorting, cropping, gluing, and embellishing family photos that my grandmother had collected over her lifetime to compile a memory book. As my grandmother shared the stories chronicling her life, and the lives of her children and grandchildren, I carefully penned the details beside the pictures. Along with birth dates and wedding dates, it was important for her to note when each family member invited Christ into their hearts––the day they chose to fear the Lord above all else.

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Cultivating an Attitude of Prayer

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Cultivating an Attitude of Prayer

Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances;

for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.

1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 ESV

For years I struggled with prayer. We may not know how to pray, what to say, or find it difficult to find time to pray. Additionally, there is always something vying for our attention––cell phones, tv, family members, or responsibilities––that get in the way of time with the Lord.

My grandmother once told me that one of her friends exclaimed, “Rose, I pray every minute, every hour, every day.” And with laughter in her eyes, my grandmother followed up with, “You know she was lying.” But in 1 Thessalonians, Paul instructs us to “pray without ceasing.” If it is an impossible task, why would God implore us to do it?

Because it’s not impossible––but it is a choice. I am learning that this instruction is less about the task of prayer and more about having an attitude of prayer. So how do we cultivate an attitude of prayer?

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12 Ways to Pray

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12 Ways to Pray

“Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden,

and I will give you rest.”

Matthew 11:28 ESV

As I sit here mulling over all the uncertainties in my personal life, the future of those I love, our nation, and the world, I hear the Spirit whispering, “Come to me…. Come to me with your brokenness, your heartaches, your fears, your concerns, and your questions.” He is inviting me to enter His presence in prayer. If I run into the shelter of His wings, I will find solace there.

It can be difficult to know how, or what, to pray when our hearts are overwhelmed. But Christ implores us to come to Him to find all that we need. If you are struggling with praying today, here are 12 prayer prompts to inspire your prayer life, along with Bible verses to read and encourage your heart as you pray.

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Three Scriptural Prayers for Peace

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Three Scriptural Prayers for Peace

“Now may the Lord of peace himself give you peace

at all times and in every way.

The Lord be with all of you.”

2 Thessalonians 3:16 NIV

Lord, when I look at what is going on in this world today, my heart bends to anxiety. Yet, I know You know me by name, and exactly what I am facing in my life. And You have designed my circumstances.

Help me trade my anxiousness for Your peace. Fill me with hope. Assure me You are with me, Jesus. May I hold tightly to Your promises and walk through this day with peace that is beyond understanding. My heart is Yours. In Jesus’ name Amen.

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The Hope of Resurrection

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The Hope of Resurrection

While they were talking and discussing together,

Jesus himself drew near and went with them.

But their eyes were kept from recognizing him.

Luke 24:15-16 ESV

Two men, Jesus’ disciples, are walking down a dirt road leading into the town of Emmaus. They witnessed the death of Jesus on the cross three days ago, and they just heard that His body has disappeared from the tomb where He was buried. The women told them an angel proclaimed Jesus had arisen from the dead, but they’re finding this news difficult to believe.

Heads hung low, and brokenhearted, they’re wondering how they could have gotten it so wrong. After all, when Jesus said He was the One they were waiting for––the One who came to set the captives free––they wholeheartedly believed Him. They’d sunk their hopes into His promise of a better life. But now, all those dreams have vanished, and they are filled with dismay.

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Hope in Troubling Times

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Hope in Troubling Times

Though I walk in the midst of trouble, you preserve my life.

Psalm 138:7a (ESV)

The first daffodils are blooming here in the South with bright golden hues, and the first day of March ushered in 80-degree temperatures. Certainly, Spring is in the air, and I must say I’m welcoming it after two snow falls in January (a rarity). And just as the weather has already set records in this new year, this season in my heart revealed its own record of pain––my family has experienced another great loss.

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Replacing Lies with God's Truths

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Replacing Lies with God's Truths

Holding the crisp pages in my trembling hands, I kneeled and spread the note before the Lord. My sense of direction, peace, and joy was lost. The enemy’s whispers had become resounding. I realized the only way to regain steadiness was to go to God for answers. It was time to face the enemy’s lies that had replaced God’s truths in my life: the lies that kept me bound to fear, disappointment, and discouragement.

The paper I held so tightly contained the lies from the enemy that constantly swam in my mind. And I came to petition God for reassurance of the truth. At the Holy Spirit's prompting, I searched His Word to find out His answer to the taunts, and I replaced them with the truth.

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When Only Peace Will Do

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When Only Peace Will Do

And Jesus said to him, “What do you want me to do for you?”

And the blind man said to him, “Rabbi, let me recover my sight.”

Mark 10:51 ESV

I could hear the low rumble of my car’s motor as the cool air from the ac blew strands of hair into my face. The summer heat in the South pushed a band of perspiration across my forehead, and with one swipe of my hand I pushed back the hair, patted the sweat, and wiped a stray tear from my eye.

The summer of 2019 was a rough season for me as depression sunk deep into my soul. The welcome of new crops to the local farms signaled new life all around me, but I felt like I was slowly dying. I couldn’t contribute this heaviness to just one thing. There was a list of uncertainties consuming me.

That’s why, for the second time on that same Sunday, I drove back to church in hopes of hearing something that would shake me out of the doldrums that I felt locked inside. As my grip tightened around the steering wheel, I whispered the same words again, “Help me, Lord.”

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Finding Beauty in the Darkness

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Finding Beauty in the Darkness

The light shines in the darkness,

and the darkness has not overcome it.

John 1:5 ESV

The weather report revealed snow actively falling which sent me bounding across the hardwood floors to open the door and peer outside. Snow is so rare here in the South that when it comes I don’t want to miss it. At first glance I could not see it. Its beauty was obscured by the darkness of the night. It was only when I shifted my gaze to the streetlight that I could see the wisps of powder circling in the air. My soul quieted as the fluffy flakes fell. I wanted to perch by the window in a state of wonder at the glory showering down from heaven.



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