He Walks With Me

“The Lord Himself goes before you and will be with you; He will never leave you nor forsake you.  Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged.”

Deuteronomy 31:8 NIV

     I have walked many miles on my journey, both literally and figuratively.  One thing I know for sure is that I haven’t walked alone.  The Lord has walked every step with me.  There have been times when I didn’t know if I could put one foot in front of the other, but He has walked with me and has helped me to keep going.

     I see many people when I go for walks, but today I was very inspired by two people I saw on the walking trail.  An older gentleman and his young adult daughter (I assume they were related) were already walking on the trail as I started.  He was pushing a wheelchair and she was walking next to him.  The young adult wore a brace on one of her legs.  They were walking very slowly.  I politely passed them and kept walking.  I walked one lap and as I made it back around to where I had first seen them, I wondered if they were still walking.  I was very intrigued and inspired by these two.

     As I kept walking, I looked and saw them up ahead.  They had walked about a ¼ of a mile.  I watched as the man walked right next to the young adult.  He didn’t get ahead of her or lag behind her; he walked right beside her.  I kept my pace steady and watched them.  I had my headphones on listening to my praise and worship music.  The song that I was listening to had a line in it that said, “He walks with me…”  I smiled as I heard it and watched this man walk with who I thought must have been his daughter.  He was walking with her.

     Suddenly, they stopped, and the girl sat down in the wheelchair.  I didn’t know them, didn’t know her story.  Was she in an accident and having to learn to walk again or having to do therapy to regain strength in her leg?  Was she born with something that caused her to have a hard time walking?  Did her leg hurt with every step she took?  These questions swirled through my mind.  Even though I didn’t know them, I was very proud of her for walking and touched by the love, patience, kindness, gentleness, compassion, and care the man had for his daughter as he walked with her.

     They turned around and started walking in my direction.  Anybody who knows me, knows that I had to say something.  I love hearing people’s stories…their life journeys.  As much as I wanted to engage them in conversation and find out more, I simply took my headphones off and as they came closer, said, “I just want you to know that you did a good job walking!”  I didn’t say as much as I wanted, but I had to say something.  Everyone needs encouragement on their journey!

     I continued walking, turning back to look at them once more.  He was pushing her in the wheelchair, but he was still walking with her.  What an awesome picture of my Heavenly Daddy!  He knows me, knows my story.  He has walked with me through all of my hurts.  When I have had a hard time walking and had to walk slowly, crawl even, He has been right here with me, just like this man with his daughter.  He has not rushed me or scolded me for having to go slow.  He has walked right with me, encouraging me every step of the way.  He has shown me love, patience, kindness, gentleness, compassion, and care.  No matter how long it has taken, He has stayed right with me.  When I have gotten tired or weak, He has let me sit down and rest, just like the girl sat down in her wheelchair.  He was still walking with me.

     Sometimes, on my journey, it feels as though I have only walked ¼ of a mile like the girl, but every step of that ¼ mile got me further on my journey than I had been before.  Every step on my journey means something and has value, just like every step she took.  God knows me, knows my story.  He knows what I have been through, am going through now, and will go through. Every step, no matter the pain, how hard, or how slow, is worth it, knowing He walks with me.

                       

Written by Heather H. McDevitt

You Are Loved

       1 John 4:9-10, Romans 5:5, John 3:16

     Are you tired, discouraged, and weak today?  If so, I have good news for you:  YOU ARE LOVED.  Have you made a mistake and think there is no way you can ever succeed?  YOU ARE LOVED.  Have your attitudes, words, or emotions gotten the best of you?  YOU ARE LOVED.  Have you tried to live up to what you thought someone else expected of you, but you couldn't meet their expectations?  YOU ARE LOVED.  Do you have to make a major decision, but you're not sure what to choose for fear of choosing the wrong thing?  YOU ARE LOVED.  Did you stand up for what you thought was right and were laughed at and mocked?  YOU ARE LOVED.
     Whatever this day will bring you or whatever it has already brought you, you can be assured today that there is One who loves you!  YOU ARE LOVED BY GOD!  His love is unconditional and unending.  Rest in God's love for you today.  You may have heard that He loves you a million times, or this may be the very first time anyone has told you.  Either way, know today that you matter and YOU ARE LOVED!
                                                                         
            written by Heather H. McDevitt

Let Us Draw Near

"Therefore, brothers and sisters, since we have confidence to enter the Most Holy Place by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way opened for us through the curtain, that is, his body, and since we have a great priest over the house of God, let us draw near to God with a sincere heart and with the full assurance that faith brings, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water."
                     Hebrews 10:19‭-‬22 NIV

     Let us draw near to God!  We can do this because Jesus Christ has made a way for us to be able to draw near to God.  We have direct access to the Father because of His Son...in Jesus Christ and through faith in Him.
     We don't have to stand in the distance longing to draw close to God, we can actually do it.  We no longer have to hide in the shadows afraid to enter our Father's presence.  God says that we can come with confidence before His throne of grace, so we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need (Heb. 4 :16).  What a privilege!
     Our Father is the King of kings.  He is holy, majestic, sovereign, and He wants us to draw near to Him.  God says that we can approach Him.  How do we approach Him? With confidence, freedom, and faith in Jesus, we can approach the God who loves us (Eph. 3:12).
     He also promises that when we draw near to Him, He will draw near to us (James 4:8).  So what are we waiting for?  Let's go. Let's run to our Father.  Let us draw near to God!

           -Written by Heather H. McDevitt

I CAN Do Hard Things

"I can do all things through Christ 
                       who strengthens me."
                      Philippians 4:13 NKJV

      I have said I CAN'T for most of my life. I have allowed these words to limit and sideline me. The belief that I CAN'T has held me back. It has kept me from trying new things, taking risks, and living life.The past year of my life has brought about a shift in this thinking, as I have been challenged to begin to believe that I CAN! Although the I CAN'T mentality has still been there, it has been challenged over and over again through trials and other people telling me that I CAN. One thing I have learned about myself this past year is that I CAN DO HARD THINGS!                                                                             I survived this past year! God has given me everything that I have needed to get through every hard thing. There were so many times that I didn't think I could do the hard things, but I did!  I did not do the hard things all on my own. I have had so many encouragers who have come alongside me and have cheered me on. God has helped me. He has given me strength, courage, joy, and so much more as I have needed it! He has never left me alone in the hard things.                 In John 16:33, Jesus said to His disciples, “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” He told His disciples they would have trouble in this world...hard things! He also encouraged them by telling them that He had overcome the world. They could have peace in Him. They could have peace in the midst of the hard things because Jesus had already overcome these things.  When hard things come my way, I must remember what Jesus told His disciples. I can have peace in Jesus. I can get through the hard things in this world because of Jesus. 

written by Heather H. McDevitt on 9-23-18 

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I Stand in You

By Heather H. McDevitt

About the Book

Struggle is part of life. We all need hope and encouragement to get through the struggles of life. This collection of poems conveys one woman's journey of struggle, and the hope she finds in Jesus Christ to face her struggles and overcome as she stands in Him.

Even Though...

"God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble.  Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea, though its waters roar and foam and the mountains quake with their surging."  

                                                                Psalm 46:1-3 NIV

      I have never seen the earth give way or mountains fall into the heart of the sea.  The description the psalmist used in these verses is very vivid. I can visualize what this might look like.  Although I have never seen this actually happen, I have had trouble in my life that felt like the earth was giving way and the mountains were falling into the heart of the sea.

     I love how the psalmist began this passage of Scripture, with God!  He stated from the very beginning of verse one, "God is..."  As a declaration, he stated that the Great I Am "is (italics mine) our refuge and strength, an ever-present help."  Tucked in between "God is" and the descriptions of who He is, sits the word "our".  My friends, the God of the universe, who made the earth, the mountains and the seas, and you and me, is personal and relational.  He is our God! He is our refuge and strength...He is our ever-present help.  The Great I Am...God is our...ever-present help!  Am, is, and ever-present are all in the present tense.  He is with us right now, in the present.

     I know that when trouble comes in my life, when the earth gives way and the mountains fall, I ask God to help me immediately.  I don't wait.  He is "an" ever-present help.  He is my ever-present help. There have been times when I have asked for help immediately and knew that He did. There have been other times that it didn't appear that He was helping me right away or at all.  He hasn't always helped me the way I thought he would, should, or when I thought, but He was working nonetheless.  He is an ever-present help.  He is ever-present.  He is always aware of what is going on in the details of our lives.  His presence abides with us. He is our with us God...and He is with us in our times of trouble.

     In John 16:33, Jesus told His disciples, "I have told you these things, so that in Me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble.  But take heart!  I have overcome the world."  Jesus guaranteed His disciples that they would have trouble in this world.  He didn't tell them they might have trouble; He told them they would have trouble.  Even though He said they would have trouble, He reassured them that He was still in control, had overcome the world, and they could have peace in Him, their ever-present help.

     Jesus offers that same peace to us in our trouble.  He is our peace.  "But take heart!"  Even though we have trouble, we know who our God is!  In verse 2 of Psalm 46, the psalmist, after declaring who God is, said, "Therefore we will not fear...".  Knowing who our God is...our refuge, strength, and ever-present help, we can confidently and with trust say:  Therefore, we will not fear, though the doctor bills come, though the car breaks down, though we face job losses, though our spouse wants divorce, though our children are sick, though grief is overwhelming, though loss, hurt, and betrayal shake us to our core, though depression and anxiety try to discourage us, etc.  Even though we face these troubles and so many more every day, we will not fear because God is our refuge, God is our strength, God is our ever-present help!
     If we are honest, if I am honest, I know who my God is, but I still struggle with fear.  Is anybody else with me?  It is one of the things that I face that causes me trouble. Fear can be a trouble that accompanies our other troubles.  Even though I struggle with fear, I keep reminding myself that my God is with me and decide to keep trusting Him.  I love that the psalmist included the words, "Therefore we will not fear..."  He made a declaration in the future about troubles he described in the present tense.  So, I too, can declare that I will not fear, though my fear is trying to take me down.  I will not fear, though my troubles are devastating, overwhelming, etc.  The psalmist made a decision, not based on his emotions, but on his relationship with the Lord, that he would not fear, even though the earth gave way and the mountains fell into the heart of the sea.  I don't know his intent on using those words, but I am sure he faced trouble in his life that made his situations seem that way.  Trouble will come, but the peace of God is offered to us to sustain, strengthen, and carry us victoriously through our trouble.  I am so grateful to have a personal God who is ever-present in these times!  Even though trouble comes, GOD IS!

                                                  written by Heather H. McDevitt