November 2015

Does God Always Make Things Better?

Megan Breedlove November 30, 2015 No Comments

holding hands My 7-year-old daughter, Jessica, possesses one of the most sensitive souls God ever created and put within a little girl. She can always sense when someone’s having a bad day, and, with little fanfare or desire for recognition, she does something to lift the person’s spirits. When a gift is in order, she will give her money, down to her last penny, or her most treasured possessions, in order to ensure that someone else doesn’t go without.

Because she is so sensitive, however, she is also easily wounded by people’s words or actions, or discouraged when something goes wrong. Recently, on a day that just wasn’t going right for her, I had pulled her into my lap so we could talk. It was during that conversation that she immeasurably blessed my mother-heart with these words: “When I’m sad, I usually talk to you. And you always make it better somehow.”

She is well aware that I don’t or can’t always change her circumstances. But she also knows that I always care, and that I can be counted on to offer not only love, but also support or sympathy or encouragement (or all three).

You and I are blessed with a similar relationship with God. Any love we offer our children is but a dim reflection of the perfect, all-encompassing love He pours out on us. He can always be counted on to offer not only that love, but also support, sympathy, encouragement, or anything else that He, with His complete and perfect knowledge, knows we need.

That, my friend, is what makes things better. Sometimes God does indeed change our circumstances as we beg Him to, and that, of course, helps. But it is a lesser help. The far greater help is when He gives us Himself.

If I were to ask which you would rather have, changed circumstances or more of God, how would you answer?

Often you and I both would answer that what we really want is the changed circumstances, not God’s presence.

It’s okay to want your circumstances to be different. There’s nothing wrong with wanting that, or with asking God to perform that.

The problem comes when God offers us what He knew was the greater help (Himself), and we complain because He didn’t offer us what we thought was greater, which was really the lesser (changed circumstances).

Jessica told me that somehow, I always make things better, even though I don’t always change things for her. In other words, she knows this fundamental but often unrealized truth: even when circumstances don’t change, the love, support, and encouragement of a mother always makes things better.

The same can be said for the love, support, and encouragement of a Father.

I pray we believe that He is truly the greater.

Lamentations 3:24—The LORD is my portion, saith my soul; therefore will I hope in him. (KJV)

When God Won’t Give You What You Want

Megan Breedlove November 23, 2015 No Comments

Chocolate chip cookies “Mommy, can I have a cookie?” Timmy asked.

“No,” I said, “we’re going to eat dinner soon.”

“But I want a cookie!”

“Sorry. It’s almost time for dinner.”

“But I LIKE cookies.”

“After dinner.”

By this point, Timmy was getting distressed. “But how can I eat a cookie if you won’t LET me?” he begged.

The answer, of course, was that he couldn’t. No cookies unless Mommy lets you have one.

I can understand his frustration. After all, I don’t like it when I don’t get what I want, either. Especially if it’s sitting right there in front of my face, looking for all the world like it should be mine.

Just as we sometimes say no to our children, so God sometimes says no to us. When He does, what we wanted—what we thought should be ours—suddenly becomes forbidden fruit.

Spiritual discernment is required to discern what God’s will is. But if I just keep trying to force the issue without ever considering that maybe I’m striving to obtain something God doesn’t want me to have, I won’t know what His will is.

At least Timmy asked me for my answer. Too often, I don’t ask God for His. I just pursue what I want and expect Him to bless it. Oh, God, forgive me!

You see, Timmy understood what you and I don’t always think about: If a parent says no, then it’s no.

But what if it’s something we really want? What then?

Here’s where it comes down to faith. We say in our heads that we believe God knows what’s best for us to have. But do we really believe it?

Apparently not, if we keep begging for “yes” when He’s already said “no,” or if we complain about “no.”

I wonder what difference it would make in your life and in mine if, instead of “fighting [God] for something we don’t really want” we would “take what [God gives] that [we] need.”

If we would accept God’s gracious provision as just that—gracious—and be content.
Philippians 4:12—I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. (NIV)

What Do You See?

Megan Breedlove November 16, 2015 No Comments

Weeds cemterpiece Look at the picture accompanying this devotional (it’s over to the right).

Go ahead, look at it.

What do you see in the foreground?

The other day, as I was walking into the kitchen, Lindsey met me as she was coming in from the back yard. Beaming, she held out a fistful of grass and flowers. “Aww, thanks,” I said, smiling. And then, because I was holding the little guy I babysit, I said, “Would you please go get the little vase you made me and put them in there?”

“Yes, ma’am,” she responded cheerfully. Then she bounded off to do as I had asked.

Lindsey added water to the vase, stuck the flowers in, and placed them in the center of our dining room table.

What do you see when you look at the picture?

A bunch of helter-skelter weeds in a bumpy vase?

Or a beautiful centerpiece, gathered and assembled with love?

Because I’m a mom too, I know your heart for your children, and I know you would answer, “I see a beautiful centerpiece.” That, of course, is what I see, too.

What do you think God sees when He looks at you?

A bunch of deficiencies, wrapped in sin and imperfection?

Or a beautiful treasure, which He made and assembled with love?

My friend, I know you’re not perfect. I’m certainly not, either. I sin and make mistakes every day. I do some things wrong and fail to do other things right.

But I’m so much more than my actions. And so are you.

I carry too much weight between my waist and my knees, my hair spends most of its time in a ponytail, and I have wrinkles.

But I’m so much more than my physical appearance. So are you.

My family lives on a budget, we have a modest home, and my kids don’t take gymnastics lessons.

Yet I am so much more than finances. So are you.

You and I are more than our pasts. We are more than our lack of talent or athletic ability. We are more than our physical, emotional, or mental handicaps.

So much more.

That’s because, when it gets right down to it, all of those things don’t really matter. Our circumstances or position in life are not what define us.

They are not who we are.

We are not “someone who has few friends.” We are “someone who is deeply loved by God.”

Nor are we “a screw-up” or “a failure.” We are human beings made in the image of our Creator, who is neither or these things.

We are not insignificant—we matter so much to God that He sacrificed Jesus in order to win us. (Do you realize what that means? You are worth Jesus to God.)

We are not ugly; we are fearfully and wonderfully made (see Psalm 139:14).

I could go on and on, and I’d love to, because convincing precious women of their worth and beauty in Jesus is one of my favorite things to do. But instead, I’m simply going to point out that you and I have a choice.

We can either see ourselves as worthless, friendless, ugly failures—or we can acknowledge that that we really are is deeply beloved, made in the image of God, tremendously significant, and beautiful.

We can either see ourselves as a collection of weeds and a lumpy vase, or as a beautiful centerpiece.

In reality, you are a beautiful centerpiece, precious friend. I pray you see yourself that way, because God does, and I do, too.

Isaiah 43:4a—You are precious in my eyes, and honored, and I love you. (ESV)

When One of These Things is Not Like the Other

Megan Breedlove November 9, 2015 No Comments

different things Did you watch Sesame Street as a child? I did. I loved it.

One of my favorite segments was the “One of These Things” game. They would show a square evenly divided into four smaller squares. Then, they would add one item to each square, three of which were similar, and one of which was obviously different from the other three. (For example: fish, bird, cat, sun.) Then they’d sing the song:

One of these things is not like the others.
One of these things just doesn’t belong.
Can you guess which thing is doing its own thing?
Guess before my song is done.
And now my song is done.

They would ask which item didn’t belong, and kids everywhere would point to the screen and call out their answers.

I loved that game. It was fun to try to figure out which thing didn’t match the others.

Of course, nowadays, being an adult, this game would hold no challenge. It’s pretty easy to tell that a bicycle doesn’t match a pizza, an ice cream cone, and a bag of chips.

It can be much harder to determine when things don’t match up in life. For example, who would ever have thought that a woman who dislikes domestic pursuits but who loves action, excitement, and intellectual challenges would match well with the calling to be a stay-at-home mom? Or that a brother who is on the autism spectrum would be a good match for two sisters who are extremely sensitive to people acting “not normal” in public? Or that a woman with a traumatic childhood would be a good spouse for a man who grew up in a loving, secure, godly home?

Not very many people on this earth would have made these matches.

But God did. He put all three of these in my family.

Mismatches? Apparently not. Because God always knows what He’s doing.

There are some mismatches that are caused because of sin or poor choices (ours or others’). But those matches ordained by God are never “mis-.” To say otherwise is to say that God makes mistakes.

So when you and I don’t understand how life could have ended up like this, we need to realize that insofar as God has ordained the matches, we are perfectly matched up.

My personality and interests, combined with the circumstances of being a stay-at-home mom? Perfectly matched. Maybe not for smooth sailing and pleasing circumstances all the time, but for that which God wants to accomplish in my life.

I can either set my own happiness as my highest goal, or I can focus on the joy of God’s will being done in me. Which will I deem more pleasing? My temporary pleasure, or my eternal character?

I don’t know what seeming mismatches you face. But I do know this: God doesn’t make mistakes.

It’s not just probable that He has some good in mind for you that is far higher than the good you had envisioned.

It’s a certainty.

Isaiah 55:8—”For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,” declares the LORD. (NIV)

When You Don’t Win

Megan Breedlove November 2, 2015 No Comments

Ahhhhh, cake walks. The anticipation of maybe, just maybe, hearing your number called and getting to choose the cake of your dreams.

I actually remember one particular cake walk from sometime when I was in elementary school. I won! I walked over to the table and chose the cake I had had my eye on all night: a sheet cake decorated in myriad colors with the word “Mexico” and all kinds of squiggles and designs. That. cake. was. beautiful!

Recently, my children participated in a cake walk at a party. Timmy became discouraged the first few times he didn’t hear his number called, so I picked him up and walked around with him. I held him for several rounds, and as time went by, and most of the other kids won cakes, Timmy began quietly fussing (read: whining). I reminded him that it’s not possible to win all the time and reassured him that he still had a chance.

And then……victory on number 19!

By this point, Timmy was hanging his head and fussing continuously. “You won, Timmy!” I exclaimed. He continued to whine. “Timmy, you won!” I repeated. More whining.

I began to walk away from the game, toward the prize table, because I was embarrassed. Did he not understand that he had won? What was the problem?

“Timmy, why are you fussing?” I asked quietly. “You won!”

“I wanted to win lots of times,” Timmy said, disappointed.

My first thought was: Be grateful you won at all!

My second thought was: Yeah, I understand, buddy. I hate it when I don’t win as often as I’d like.

Like in life. I know it’s not realistic to expect to get what I want all the time. But I’d like to. And sometimes, when I don’t, I get disappointed.

Here are some recent times I can remember not getting what I wanted:

My child embarrassed me in public.
I tried to learn a particular skill, and it didn’t turn out well at all.
I didn’t receive an invitation I was hoping for.
Someone assumed the worst about my character.

These are not the only unpleasant things I’ve faced in the past few weeks; there have also been some that were traumatic.

But in the same time period, I’ve also encountered these circumstances:

My child spent time drawing a sweet picture for me and telling me how much she loved me.
I received a compliment from a student who enjoys my teaching style.
I was invited to have lunch with a friend.
Several family members went out of their way to verbally affirm their confidence in my character and their love for me.

So, I have a choice. I can complain that I had to face the first set of circumstances, or I can rejoice that I experienced the second.

It’s the same choice you have when you’re disappointed.

Grieve if you need to; it’s okay!

But don’t forget the good things.

Job 1:21—Naked came I out of my mother’s womb, and naked shall I return thither: the LORD gave, and the LORD hath taken away; blessed be the name of the LORD. (KJV)

Does God Always Make Things Better?

When God Won’t Give You What You Want

What Do You See?

When One of These Things is Not Like the Other

When You Don’t Win

You Missed

Priorities

I Wouldn’t Do That

Little Things

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