Weekly devotionals based on soul tending in the book of Psalms.
It is dark at my house this morning. The electricity went out at some point during the night, leaving my entire neighborhood shrouded in blackness. I wander about the house, gathering candles, a lighter, and my trusty book light. Without light, my home becomes a frustrating obstacle course featuring various objects ready to bruise my … Continue reading Holding onto Hope in Advent – Psalm 80
Hospital waiting rooms are a great equalizer. All who enter join the fellowship of uncertainty. Plans and predictions, once held tightly, slowly tick away with the pace of watched clocks. I have logged many hours in these places over the years. Often arriving flustered and departing relieved, but now I am back again in crisis. … Continue reading Are You Bargaining with God in the Waiting Room? Psalm 26
If I am being honest, I love a good checklist. A clear path lined out for me, revealing what was right to do and what to avoid. I want to know deep in my soul that if I get the boxes checked off in proper order and complete all items before the deadline, all will … Continue reading How Can I Avoid Suffering and Other Lies I Have Chosen to Believe
Some families pass down an inheritance of precious jewelry while others share treasured recipes written on weathered cards. Other families gift each generation with stocks or bonds. Some families even pass the ownership of a family business to the next generation. Sadly, my family held on to the tradition of passing down a legacy of … Continue reading Can Fearing the Lord Reduce my Anxiety? Psalm 34b
Perhaps there is some time-space continuum operating in the dark of the night? Bear with me for a moment, but if you have ever had trouble sleeping, you might know what I mean. What about gazing at the digital clock at 2 am that causes time to slow down to a crawl? The minutes creep … Continue reading How do I seek God in the Dark of the Night? Psalm 34a
I spent Sunday afternoon and evening in an emergency room with an elderly family member. God showed up in the kindness of pre-warmed sheets, wrapping us in care. As the hours inched passed, all reports and test results provided much-needed reassurance. Finally, long after sundown, the doctor graciously wrote prescriptions to relieve the most troubling … Continue reading What Am I Called to Share? Psalm 22:22-31
How does the world respond to suffering? We medicate it. We dismiss it. We deny it. We try to explain it away. We even blame the victim sometimes. Jesus has a different way of sitting with suffering. Psalm 22 invites believers to sit at the foot of the cross with Jesus and bear witness to … Continue reading How do I sit with suffering? Psalm 22
The book of Esther opens with the swift and forced exit of Queen Vashti, followed by a country-wide search for a new Queen. The King selects a young Jewish orphan named Esther. Just as she is settling into palace life, an enemy of the Jewish people has cleverly manipulated the King to issue a royal … Continue reading Where do I find God in a desperate situation? Psalm 22
As I write this in October of 2022, Union Jack flags flutter in the breeze all over Britain. Many were first displayed in June to honor Queen Elizabeth’s Platinum Jubilee and continue to testify of the queen’s longstanding popularity. After 75 years of faithful service, Queen Elizabeth died in September. I arrived in Manchester just … Continue reading What’s Good? Psalm 21
*Writer Kendra Cherry defines happiness as, an emotional state characterized by feelings of joy, satisfaction, contentment, and fulfillment. While happiness has many different definitions, it is often described as involving positive emotions and life satisfaction. How often can you expect to be happy? About half the time. When I heard this recently, I confess that … Continue reading What is Happiness? Psalm 20
Anthea Kotlan 