Yesterday I “corrected” my sister in Christ. My words were not a rebuke, . . . but they were not encouraging either. Since, I strive to be the encourager, my heart filled with regret. The enemy took advantage of the situation to remind me of all the other times I have failed to be encouraging . . . and worse! . . .

Look at that: God answered my prayer for a devotion on Thanksgiving with a unique and beautiful song of thanksgiving! Quoted below . . .

I love this imagery of the universe standing on its tippytoes. I imagine demons scurrying in haste because their time is short, and angels leaning over the balcony of heaven with . . . .

I am so attuned to hearing the Holy Spirit referred to as wine and oil that I naturally think of God’s Spirit in this verse. The wine and the oil represent the Holy Spirit working in us and through us to others.

God gives us wine (the Spirit) to make our hearts glad. . . .

The lament of poor fisherman, dockworkers, and fishwives of Portugal in the 1820s created a musical genre called Fado. Fado has a mournful tune, infused with emotions of loss and resignation to a hopeless fate. Many a Fado song wails about the loss of her mariner husband at sea.

In that day, sailing . . .

Susan called our prayer ministry in a panic! The pandemic had her feeling anxious and depressed. She didn’t have the courage to leave her apartment. So, she sat alone with her spiraling thoughts all day long. Yikes!

Susan’s story is common. Freedom from fear, anxiety . . .

I need to escape my negative, swirling thoughts. The voices of “he said, she said” rewind in my mind, sapping my energy and squandering valuable hours.

So, I turn my affection toward the Lord. I bare my heart . . .

When I read of Israel’s exodus, I envision beleaguered refugees forced into the desert on foot. That is not the picture presented in Exodus 12 and 13.

It says God led the nation of Israel out in “orderly ranks.” Several times, He referred to them as “the armies of the Lord” . . .

Father God longs to be with the children that He loves. So, He ordained seven feasts to which He invites us to commune with Him.

The Feast of Tabernacles (September 21, 2021) celebrates God tabernacling among the children . . . .

During my young adult years, I walked my own way without regard to God’s leading. Parenting was a spiritual wakeup call for me! The weight of responsibility to raise those children right threw me on my face at the foot of the cross. I simply could not do it on my own. . . . .

My father set an expectation when I went away to college that I would visit him often, especially for the holidays. He loves me and was going to miss me. My father longs to spend time in my presence simply because he loves me.

My Heavenly Father has the same longings in His heart . . . .

From the burning bush, God stated that the goal of the exodus is that His people could sacrifice to (worship) Him. The ten plaques and miraculous signs and dramatic exit distract from the main purpose. God was and is calling out to Himself worshipers.

God established, . . .